BASED in the foothills of the highest mountain on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge where ‘Heaven touches Earth’, is Domaine des Dieux, ‘Field of the Gods’. To get to the tasting room, off the R320 between Hermanus and Caledon, involves negotiating a dirt track through the vineyards to up where the views are pretty good – and where it can get pretty windy. Not a place you’d typically associate with one of South Africa’s top sparkling wines.

Most of the country’s market leaders and the pioneers of bubbly made in the Cape according to the Champagne/Traditional method are located in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Robertson and Tulbagh – all of whom made way for Domaine des Dieux to take top honours at the 2018 Cap Classique Challenge and the trophy for Best South African entry at the 2018 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships (CSWWC) in the UK. The Hemel-en-Aarde outfit is the first to achieve the double in the same year, regular visitors to the podium that they are.

In 2017, Domaine des Dieux won a double gold and gold medal at the Cap Classique Challenge with their Claudia Brut 2011 and Rose of Sharon Brut Rosé 2010 respectively. In 2016, the Claudia 2010 and 2008 collected gold, and it was in 2014 that they won their first trophy at the Challenge with the 2009 vintage of Claudia Brut.

The Hemel-en-Aarde farm is owned and managed by the Parnell family. Without their own winery as yet, they lean on consultants to put their magic in the bottle. Claudia winemaker during the 2012 harvest was John Seccombe of Thorne & Daughters (Bot River) and the wine was taken to bottle in the La Vierge cellar down the road from Domaine des Dieux by Franschhoek winemaker Irene de Fleuriot (nee Waller) of La Bri Estate.

Where the fruit originates to produce Des Dieux Claudia can change from year to year – it’s not all from the Hemel-en-Aarde. There is always a small parcel of Bot River grapes included in the mix, however for the 2012 most of the fruit came from Elgin, the balance from Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. According to matriarch Sharon Parnell: “The 2013 vintage will show WO Cape South Coast, which covers all of these areas.”

Des Dieux Claudia Brut 2012
WO Elgin. 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir. Whole-bunch pressing and cool fermentation. Méthode Cap Classique: second fermention in bottle and left on the lees (spent yeast) in bottle for 48 months to develop its creaminess and refine the mousse (tiny bubbles).
Alc 11.5 | RS 6.7 | TA 8.9 | pH 3.2
Producer’s Tasting Notes: Creamy lemon curd aromas mingle with perfumed red berries; fresh and light in the mouth, with a long finish of toasty brioche notes; lively acidity…
R195 pb at the cellar door.