J.C. Le Roux Scintilla 2003

Entrance to J.C. Le Roux

The month of February always seems to bring romance into our lives especially with the sunny balmy weather we are experiencing and that we also celebrate Valentine’s Day with our loved ones. And what do we do when we want to celebrate?…..enjoy a bottle of fine  bubbly of course!  So with an invitation to a Valentines lunch at The House of JC Le Roux with some like minded wine friends seemed an excellent idea especially as we were invited to try the bubbly pairing menu at their new restaurant, Le Venue.

The House of J.C. Le Roux, in the tranquil Devon Valley outside Stellenbosch, was named after the Huguenot pioneer and viticulturist, Jean le Roux. Le Roux, who in 1704, left his native home in Normandy to settle in the area where he planted 8000 vines in and around the Stellenbosch district.  Today the House of J.C. le Roux nestles on part of this historic farm that Jean Le Roux had lived on.

The House of J.C. Le Roux was the first South African cellar devoted to only making sparkling wine. The cellar produces both carbonated sparkling as well as traditional Methode Cap Classique, the South African term used for making sparkling wine using the French Champagne method. Perhaps the best known wines from the House are their carbonated semi-sweet sparklers the  Le Domaine (white) and  the Le Chanson (red).

However after a recent four month makeover they opened, Le Venue which is a  wonderful  restaurant with an  inviting al fresco deck where one can enjoy delicious food  paired with their elegant range of  J.C. Le Roux  Méthode Cap Classique wines.

Our five course pairing menu on the day was taken from the current lunch menu and delicious as it was there were some interesting comments around the table of how the food paired with the different J.C Le Roux Cap Classiques.  I thought the dish that found absolute harmony with the wine was the Tortellini stuffed with chicken and wild mushroom which was served with the luscious J.C Le Roux Scintilla 2003. Scintilla  is only produced in exceptional vintages and the 2003, made predominantly from  Chardonnay with a little Pinot Noir, spent seven years on the lees,  offers complex  rich layers of citrus fruit with a toasty, yeasty finish. The silky flavours of the wine mellowed with the richness of the wild mushrooms.

Expect to pay R187.50