Jewel Box is a wine with emphasis on richness, opulence, and complexity. The inspiration for this style comes from John’s all-time favourite Champagnes namely, Krug and Bollinger. The grapes were hand harvested towards the end of January 2019 and gently whole bunch pressed to recover a maximum of only 500 litres per ton. Fermentation of the Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir occurred in old French oak barrels. This creates the basis of complex building blocks which are critical when it comes to the final blending. A further technique of using a reserve portion of Chardonnay, which has spent 12 months in old French barrels, completes Jewel Box. The final blend consists of 85% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Noir. The wine spends a minimum of 42 months on the lees ( in order) to develop the optimum complexity. Only 4000 bottles were produced.

Tasting Notes: light straw yellow with elegant fine bubbles. Complex aromas of roasted almonds, marzipan and subtle hints of strawberry and cherry compote followed by zesty citrus nuances.  Dry, rich and full – soft toasty creaminess with a beautiful palate weight.

Food Pairing: Its rich, dry, and elegant structure pairs best with creamy seafood dishes, roasted quail with wild mushrooms, or rich, salty appetizers.

There was no 2020 Jewel Box, so John Loubser (re)released a different, slightly drier version of the impressive 2019 instead. Using barrel-fermented Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Noir, all sourced from Robertson, it has subtle wood spices, citrus, malt and lemongrass flavours, undertones of cream and cashew nut, fine bubbles and a tapering finish. 2025-32’ – Tim Atkin MW 95/100

ANALYSIS: ALC 12% | TA 6.6g/l | pH 3.16  | RS 7.4g/l