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Cape Chamonix Shines at Old Mutual Trophy Wine Awards
Date Published: 08 Jun 2009
Originally part of the La Cotte farm granted to French Huguenots in 1688, Cape Chamonix in Franschhoek is named after a village in France and French traditions are honoured in the Burgundian style of winemaking that has prevailed at Chamonix since its establishment as a wine producer in 1991. Their Chardonnay is held in high regard, with the 2005 Reserve earning winemaker Gottfried Mocke the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year award in 2006.
Mocke reveals that it's "still matured in 100% new Burgundy barrels and the grapes are still sourced from the same Franschhoek vines". The Chamonix Chardonnay 1999 was made by Peter Arnold (who now lives in Spain). It wasn't a big vintage and no Reserve was released that year - this particular wine received a mix of "Reserve" and "normal" treatment. Whereas the Reserve Chardonnay normally spends about 14 months in oak, the "normal" version spends around 11 months. The trophy-winning 1999 spent a total of 15 months in oak before bottling and it's felt that this together with good pH management were telling factors in the wine's proven ageing potential.
Mocke says that apart from experimenting with some spontaneous fermentation, the cellar has recently also been dabbling with fermenting a small amount of its Chardonnay in "concrete barrels the shape of eggs" (better known to some as Nomblot's eggs). "This will give more of a mineral structure to the wine," says Mocke.
Very few of the older Chardonnay vintages are still available. The '97, '98 and 2001 are sold at the on-site restaurant Mon Plaisir, where the 1999 will also be made available soon. The '99 can also be bought from the cellar - by special request, of course.
Jeanri-Tine van Zyl © Wine Magazine
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