The House that J.C. Le Roux Built

To celebrate the success of my trips around Robertson, I decided that my first stop back would be a JC LeRoux, as no celebration is complete without a glass of good bubbly. So while I sip down my Almond Grove NLH from Robertson winery, which has opened up just beautifully I might add, I'll write down my experiences of good ol' JC (no, not that JC - this one can only turn grape juice into wine - not water).

Of the bubblies, three really stood out for me, so I'll only talk about those three. The first was the Pinot Noir MCC (R70) which had a mixture of fresh baked bread and yeast smells with an undercurrant of soft pear. It was lively, friendly and crisp - the perfect MCC for someone looking for something special without boaring a hole in their wallet. The next was the Pinot Noir Rose MCC (R94) which had the smell of moldy yeast as well as a good amount of berries on the taste - particularly strawberries and cherries, giving it the illusion of being sweeter than it really was - well-balanced, delicate and delicious. And plus, I've always liked a pink bubbly - it gives it a sense of fun and excitement.

The final MCC and my particular favorite was the Scintilla (R121). It's definitely moving onto the more expensive side of MCC, but it is a hot contender as my favorite MCC, and certainly is in my top 3 of off-the-shelf MCC. The moment you place this bubbly in your mouth, you know you are tasting something special and with freshly baked bread crust smells, an after taste of melons, and a hint of chocolate powder, this larger than life sparkling will make you celebrate the joys of being alive and well. The perfect way to stun people into silence at a party and even the look of the bottle gives it a sense of nobility and opulence.

With the last drop of sweet wine left in my glass, I'll toast to all of you, my readers, who have somehow managed to read this far into my emails... I hope that you all will know the pleasures of good wine and good friends as I have!

Val