CH’NG Poh Tiong
Longridge produces one of the best sparkling wines in South Africa. Biodynamically farmed, there is no use of herbicides, pesticides or chemical sprays. Yields are low and the vineyards in the Western Cape are planted to a soil which includes decomposed granite on the lower slopes of the Helderberg Mountain in Stellenbosch (about 50 kilometres east of Cape Town). The secondary fermentation – as with Champagne – is in the bottle. In South Africa, this is referred to as MCC or Methode Cap Classique. Whole bunched pressed, only free run juice was used. The blend is chardonnay and pinot noir. Ageing of wine on lees in the bottle was 40 months, way above the 15-month minimum requirement in Champagne. Light gold in colour, the wine is in its secondary evolution and shows brioche, dried citrus, and a light nuttiness. A delicate creaminess in texture is also evident. So too a dash of minerality. About full-bodied.
