Laborie claims top honours
2005-09-22
THE KWV cellar Laborie has claimed top honours in the fourth annual Wine magazine Amorim Cork Cap Classique Challenge.
No stranger to accolades for its bubbly, the Paarl producer’s Laborie Blanc de Blanc 2000 scored an impressive 4½ Stars, leading a notable line-up of high-scoring sparkling wines.
No fewer than nine entries rated 4 Stars, confirming panel chairman Dave Hughes’ comment that it is generally agreed internationally that “the Cape produces a consistently high standard of bottle-fermented bubbly and the best is as good as any the world over”.
The top-scorers included the Dieu Donné Maingard Brut 2002, Weltevrede Philip Jonker Brut 2000 from the 2003 Challenge champion, four bubblies from Villiera (with two under the Woolworths label Villiera Tradition Brut Rosé NV, Villiera Monro 1999) Woolworths Blanc de Blanc Chardonnay Brut 2002 and Woolworths Méthode Cap Classique Brut 1998) as well as Graham Beck’s Brut Blanc de Blancs 1999 and Brut 1994 in magnum, plus the Desiderius 1998 from JC le Roux.
The winning wine was made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes, only the second 100 per cent Chardonnay Cap Classique from Laborie.
Wine lovers will be able to sample a selection of the top-scoring Cap Classique wines from the 2005 Challenge at a public tasting in Cape Town’s ArabellaSheraton Hotel on 1 December.
The tasting, which costs R100 person, will be led by 2004 Diner’s Club Winemaker of the Year, ‘Bubbles’ Pieter Ferreira. Bookings can be made by e-mailing smart@rsp.co.za or calling 0860-100-203.
The judges found the wine has a yeasty nose, lovely citrussy flavours and good mousse, a sweet/sour character and a hint of apples.
They commented on its “seamless integration of fruit and wood” and felt it could be enjoyed now or over two years.
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