Il Geco Cap Classique 2014

Full disclaimer…I’ve shared belly laughs (she has THE best laugh) and horrified silences with this winemaker twice a month for the entire year. But by now we all know how I feel about traditional method sparklings. There’s also a degree of nerves because, at this stage, her notes should be identical to my notes…and she’s the winemaker! 😂 If I didn’t like it, I’d make up any excuse to not post it. Hence, hear me when I whisper ‘wow’!

The Wine:

Medium gold...reminiscent of gilded frames. With a pronounced nose of sweet hay, evening honeysuckle, fresh fennel fronds, crushed sage, bruised apples, red apple skin, fresh yeast, toasted brioche with just the right amount of light char to deliver a satisfying crunch before you sink into the buttered layers, oyster shell, lightly toasted hazelnuts, almond skin, lemon rind and lemon oil, ripe oranges, dried apricots and peaches, a suggestion of caramalised pineapples, and a growing realisation that bruised ripe raspberries might also be at play.

Dry, high acidity, medium bodied, medium alcohol and a finish that’s long enough to satisfy you for a few minutes before you head back for another mouthful of soft, welcoming mousse...and appreciate how burnt sugar joins the range of flavours bursting gently on your tongue.

Viti + Vini:

Hand picked and co-pressed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes sourced from Tulbagh.

Hand picked and co-pressed before fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks at 10°C. The base wine was racked to old 400 litre oak barrels and underwent malolactic conversion. the wine was aged on its lees for 12 months, before the secondary fermentation (12 January 2015).

The wine was disgorged after 7 years (09 April 2021) with only 400 bottles having been produced.

Final Thoughts:

One thing that struck me, more so than the complexity, is the texture of the wine...like a warm, gentle, comforting embrace...kinda like the winemakers laugh.

This maiden release celebrates the resilience of a group of Italian silk farmers who ventured to SA, only to find themselves stranded in Knysna, deep in a wild forest...unable to speak the language or return home. Clarise, the winemaker, is a 5th generation descendant of these adventurers.

If you’re in SA...only 400 bottles were made so snap them up before Cape Wine rolls into town next month and wipes out the very limited supply.