Anthonij Rupert L'ormarin's Brut Classique

Anthonij Rupert L'Ormarin's Brut Classique

L'Ormarins Brut Classique is one of the many sparkling wines from the South African wine house Anthonij Rupert Wine, located in the picturesque town of Franschhoek in the Western Cape, South Africa, surrounded by the dramatic Groot Drakenstein Mountains.

The winery consists of the historic farms L'Ormarins and Anthonij Rupert Estate, founded at L'Ormarins in Franschhoek by Anthonij Rupert. The estate has a long history of wine production, dating back to 1694, as evidenced by the bottle.

After Anthonij Rupert's tragic death in a car accident in 2001, his brother Johann Rupert took over the operation of the vineyard and named the winery in honor of his late brother.

Johann and Anthonij are the sons of Anton Rupert, a well-known philanthropist and founder of a large empire that includes distilleries, breweries, wineries, as well as luxury brands such as Cartier, Dunhill, Piaget and Montblanc.

While Johann was previously responsible for the sale of luxury goods, Anthonij and their sister Hanneli took care of the vineyards L'Ormarins, Rupert, Rupert & Rothschild and La Motte.

Today, Johann is a significant shareholder in the Richemont Group, which includes brands such as Cartier, IWC, Piaget, Dunhill, Montblanc, Chloé, Panerai and many other well-known brands.

In addition, he also owns Rupert Wines, which includes wineries and brands such as Cape of Good Hope, L'Ormarins, Terra del Capo, Protea and of course Anthonij Rupert.

The winery's vineyards are spread across L'Ormarins in Franschhoek, Rooderust in Darling, Riebeeksrivier in Swartland and Altima in remote Elandskloof. In total, the winery has over 250 hectares of vineyards in these areas. They also operate the Franschhoek Motor Museum, which houses 80 vintage cars.

L'Ormarins Brut Classique is made from a blend of 57% Chardonnay and 43% Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noir grapes come from vineyards at an altitude of 178-188 meters at Altima in Elandskloof.

The Chardonnay grapes come from vineyards near Rooderust, where the soil is rich in slate. After manual harvesting, the grapes are pressed, and the juice from the first and second pressings is kept separate. The juice is then settled and fermented in stainless steel tanks.

The wine is blended, filtered and bottled before secondary fermentation, followed by 2-4 years of bottle aging before final disgorging with a sweet dosage. The wine is aged for a further 3 months before release.

The aroma is dry with notes of nuts, roasted hazelnuts, yeast, orange peel, crushed apples, lemons and flower pollen, as well as a salty minerality that gives a fresh whole.

The taste is fresh with intense bubbles that are a little aggressive. Green, sour apples, lemons and a bit of grapefruit stand out, with a fresh and slightly bitter taste, where the acidity is pronounced and persistent. A remarkable wine. 90 points.