L’Ormarins winemaker, Zanie Viljoen
You don’t need a celebration to enjoy a glass of L’Ormarins Brut Classique Rosé NV. It is perfectly suited to any occasion.
This hand-crafted wine delivers a constant stream of fine bubbles with delicious aromas of raspberry and strawberries. What follows is an explosion of lively bubbles on the palate delivering a crispy acidity. These flavours flow into an equilibrium of rich, creamy lees notes and toasted biscuit flavours. A delightfully playful Cap Classique with excellent structure and a lingering aftertaste.
As the perfect ‘any time’ drink, the L‘Ormarins Brut Classique Rosé NV is best enjoyed chilled, on its own, or as the ideal partner to a fresh summer salad of goat’s cheese with a raspberry vinaigrette. Alternatively, end a perfect dinner with a glass of Brut Classique Rosé NV served with a homemade strawberry tart.
We caught up with winemaker Zanie Viljoen to learn more about the process of creating the award-winning range of L’Ormarins bubblies.
Tell us about your winemaking journey – how did you get started?
I was born in Upington and raised in Ermelo, Mpumalanga. I had a natural-born curiosity for agriculture from a young age. On family holidays and road trips, I was always mesmerised by the vineyards I saw along the way. Wine labels and wine cultivars also drew my attention when I joined my mom on her weekly shopping trips. Studying at Elsenburg Agricultural College was a natural choice for me, and I have worked in the wine industry ever since.
What has been your biggest achievement as a winemaker?
Without a doubt being in charge of the L’Ormarins Cap Classique facilities and being allowed to impart my philosophy to the winemaking process. In addition, the accolades this range have been awarded confirm that the hard work and effort my team and I put in is paying off. Our latest accolade was receiving a Gold medal and Best Rosé Award for the second consecutive year at the prestigious 2020 Amorim Cap Classique Challenge, for the L’Ormarins Brut Rosé NV.
What do you find the most challenging about winemaking?
Being both a mother and a winemaker. I am totally committed to my responsibilities in the cellar and at home. Finding a balance between the two is a constant but very rewarding challenge.
What inspires you; where do you draw inspiration from when creating a wine?
When I see our guests enjoying our Cap Classique wines, it motivates me to do even better and to work harder every harvest year, producing the best I can.
Which goals are you working towards?
I strive to be consistent with every Cap Classique that we produce, but with every vintage there is always some natural factors that play a big part in how the vintage ends up. There is magic in that. My goal is to make a Cap Classique wine with great character but consistent style and quality every year.
Tell us about the process to create an MCC?
Picking grapes at the right time, when the sugar content is not too high and the acid levels provide perfect balance and freshness, is one of the most important departure points. Grapes are then whole bunch pressed and the juice is used to make the base wine. After fermentation, the wines are kept in full tanks to prevent oxidation. Then the real fun starts with a blend tasting where we decide which components will go into the various L’Ormarins products. After blending, the wine is dosed with some sweeter wine and yeast which will encourage secondary fermentation in the bottle. The bottles are sealed with beer caps as a temporary closure. Second fermentation takes place in the bottle and lasts about 6–8 weeks. Once this process is complete, the bottles continue lying on their sides for 2−4 years on the lees for ageing. Then disgorgement takes place, where you push out all the lees leaving the wine pure and clean. Our Cap Classique wines then receive a ‘dosage’ − a simple mixture of wine − to create the final perfect balance in the wine. Lastly, the champagne cork and wire are added to seal the bottle until it is enjoyed. The Cap Classique is labelled and kept on cork for a minimum of 3−6 months before we start selling it.
Which wines do you personally enjoy drinking most?
Cap Classique, of course! But I am more of a white wine person. I love a vibrant and fresh wine with lots of fruit character.
For more information visit https://www.rupertwines.com/farms/lormarins/
