At the 2013 Amorim Tsogo Sun Cap Classique
Challenge, Ayama Wines, located in Paarl, was one of the 24 wineries to be
awarded with a “Highly Recommended – Gold Medal” recognition, with their 2009 MCC’s, Pinot
Noir & Chardonnay Brut, a fantastic quality sparkling wine, to impress your friends!
Positioned in the Perdeberg foothills, 100%
Italian investment, making wine since 2005 by winemaking and viticulturists
duo, Michela Sfiligoi and Attilio Dalpiaz.
Below is an exclusive interview with Michela
and Attilio about their house style, winemaking philosophy, sourcing of the
grapes for his range, and what makes their sparkling wine specials, they are
certainly worth a visit (by appointment) over the holiday and festive season
and their bubblies, should be high on your purchase lists, this summer, seek
them out at Food Lovers Market.
Tell our readers a
little more about your winery and how long you have been making wine and why your chosen location to make wine and in particular MCC, what is
special about your site?
It was a beautiful sunny day,
when we first saw SLENT in January 2004. It was
love at first sight: we knew this place was special, and would mean so much to us.
Both passionate about agriculture and wine, proudly Italian but in love with
South Africa, with its history, its people and its awesome natural environment,
we were looking for a farm to buy and live. It is almost
10 years now since that day and we have worked hard to understand
climate, soils, varietals, bio-diversity and different cultures. It has taken
some time to adapt Italian roots to all this. But belief
and passion gave us the ability to rise to the challenge, and the
strength to succeed. The first day of the harvest in 2005 was
unforgettable, and it will be part of the Slent story for ever. We named the
wines “AYAMA” – a Xhosa word meaning “someone to
lean on” – as owners we believe Slent adventure leans on
friendship and love for nature and people. Together with our
partners, all Italian friends who love South Africa and have deep faith
in its future, we wish to keep this farm deeply connected to its vibrant past, and to grow the place and
its people towards an even better future. Producing MCC was a dream for us when
we were living in Italy and it became true in SA. We just love them.
Explain us your
viticultural approach and philosophy, as we all know, it’s all starts in the
dirt to make very good to great wines?
Attilio has always been exposed
to different approaches and philosophies being consulting different farms in
Friuli (North East of Italy) as agronomist. After few years on Slent and
willing to produce very good bubbles we both agreed on sourcing the best grapes
in cooler areas. Both our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are sourced in farms
located in Robertson and Elgin. Character, finesse and flavors are
special on these areas.
Viticulturist are
very often the unsung heroes of the South African wine industry and we all know,
demanding style such as MCC, needs optimum grape quality, tell us more about
your viticulturist?
Most is said above, except for he is surely not unsung hero
here at Slent being the most beloved man and boss, especially for his cooking! J
MCC’s will never be Champagne, however the quality
are of a very high standards and represents some of the very best value bottle
sparkling wine in the world, tell us more about the climate and soil your
grapes come from?
Robertson and Elgin are great areas for Chardonnay and Pinot
Noir.The climate can be described as Mediterranean. Within these areas the
vineyards are planted in different soils on varying slopes and this adds to the
complexity of fruit.
Do you have any
preferences over site specific, i.e Estate / region/district/ward wine of
origin over Western Cape / Coastal Region blends, if so give us more
details?
The amazing thing in South Africa for us is the possibility
of grapes in different areas than ours. We love the Voor Paardeberg, but surely
to warm for grapes for bubbles. Our MCCs are Western Cape blends, being
selecting in different areas.
How long you have been making MCC?
We started with
2008 vintage.
How many styles of MCC’s you produce under your
brand?
We do have a Blanc de Blancs, a Brut and a Rosè.
Tell us more about your winning MCC and it’s
winemaking process as well as the percentage blends if any making the final
wine?
AYAMA MCC
Brut 2009 is a combination of Pinot noir 54% and Chardonnay 46%. Matured on
lees, in bottle for 24 months.
The grapes
were hand harvested into bins, in the cool of the morning. They were then
whole-bunch pressed and only free run juice was used for final blend. Select
yeast was used for primary fermentation followed by malolactic fermentation.
The wine was blended and bottled, where it then underwent the iconic MCC
fermentation. This was followed by bottle maturation of approximately 24
months, and only then was it disgorged, corked and labelled.
What is your view on
Reserve wine added prior to dosage, what would be your average percentage, if
any use in your house style?
We are more Italian style oriented, we love the freshness
and the character of the 100% vintage declared on the label. Might be difficult
some years to get the same standard, but isn’t it fun to have a challenge like
working on difficult vintages?
What MCC style are your aiming for?
Elegant and
lively with upfront fruit, yet creamy with slight bread dough and layered
mineral flavours.
With the new emerging market locally preferring
wines with higher residual sugar, what is your philosophy on dosage and where
do you draw the line?
We love dry MCCs. Sugar levels around 8. Surely not the
preferred style in some countries, but diversity is the unique beauty of being
making wine. We have a great number of Ayama lovers who would not like a
different style.
Stylistically, where do you intend taking the wine
in the next 5 to 10 years?
We would love to keep the style, but increase the quality
and longevity.
How many approximately bottles do you produce per
each style?
12,000 each of
the 3 MCCs.
Countries exported?
Belgium, Italy J, Germany, Japan, Korea, Thailand.
Top local on trade customers supporting the wines
or where can your MCC be found to be purchased and enjoy?
Food Lovers Market! And we deliver
country wide to lots of people buying directly from the farm.
Some restaurants and boutique
wine stores are starting buying as well.
Your favorite food pairings or recommendation to
be enjoyed with your winning MCC?
We enjoy
this bubbly well chilled, on its own or with oysters, sushi and other delicate
seafood dishes, or with a variety of entrées. Being Italians we sometimes like
it with nice Prosciutto!
Do you have a special
cellar door deal for readers of MCWJ to purchase your MCC over the holiday
period?
We would love to offer it at the special price of R95.00
FREE delivery for 12 bottles all over the country!
What is the average selling of your MCC’s, cellar
door / retail?
It is R119.00 excluding delivery. Food Lovers Market is
retailing at R100.00
