All that sparkles is Cap Classique

By Hedda Mittner

A more apt name for this week’s column would be ‘What’s sparkling’, as I was recently entranced by a visit to the home of Genevieve MCC on a beautiful (almost) spring day. Nestling in the Botrivier Valley just off the Karwyderskraal Road, Klein Botrivier farm has undergone some major changes since my previous visit almost two years before.

The old barn on this working farm has been restored to its former glory by Genevieve MCC founder, Melissa Nelsen, and now houses a charming tasting room, function venue, kitchen and bathroom. The barn spills out onto a spacious courtyard where hundreds of guests can be accommodated with ease.

Taking centre stage at last week’s Show & Tell event was Melissa’s latest release, the Genevieve MCC 2015 Zero Dosage, a vibrant bubbly with crisp aromas of lime blossom, white peach and honeydew melon, an expressive toasty finesse and lingering finish.

Melissa Nelsen (above), winemaker and founder of Genevieve MCC, found a new home in 2017 on the Klein Botrivier farm, where an old barn has been transformed into a delightful tasting venue. The farm also offers two self-catering cottages for those who enjoy the scenic beauty and tranquility of the countryside.

The Genevieve MCC Zero Dosage is only produced when the vineyards show exceptional quality and the harvest promises a truly distinguished vintage. The year 2015 was such a vintage and was selected as only the second release of the Zero Dosage extension, the previous one having been the 2012 vintage.

"Only first-pressed cuvée juice is used and kept for a minimum of four years on the lees, with periodical assessments," says Melissa. "The aim is to show the purest expression of terroir and the cap classique quality without any added dosage [traditionally, the topping up of wine and addition of sucrose]." The Genevieve MCC 2015 Zero Dosage is a beautiful addition to Melissa’s Blanc de Blanc MCC, which bubbly drinkers have come to know and love.

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