La Chanson by JC Le Roux

Not every celebration wants a bone-dry Champagne. Sometimes you want a bottle that grins back at you, and that's exactly what La Chanson does. Ruby-red, softly sweet, gently sparkling: this is South Africa's answer to the question 'what if bubbles were just a bit more fun?' The flavour is pure strawberry patch and orchard plum, with a fresh, frothy lift that keeps everything light on its feet. Credit goes to an unusual blend built around Sauvignon Blanc, White Muscadel, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and a whisper of Pinotage, all drawn from vineyards spread across the Western Cape. Colour is coaxed from the skins in the first day of the cellar, and fermentation is stopped cold once the alcohol reaches around 7.5%, leaving plenty of natural grape sugar behind. That's why it drinks so easily and lands so softly. J.C. Le Roux has been South Africa's dedicated sparkling house since 1982, and this bottle sits firmly in its playful Core Range: bubbly designed to be enjoyed rather than analysed. Serve it very cold as an aperitif, alongside a berry pavlova or lemon cheesecake, or pour it with a mildly spiced curry where its sweetness earns its keep. It's also a lovely gift for someone who finds most fizz too austere, sent straight from us to any UK address. Bridal showers, birthdays, sunny afternoons in the garden: La Chanson knows its brief and delivers.

Le Domaine draws its fruit from vineyards scattered across the Western Cape, from coastal sites cooled by Atlantic breezes to warmer inland slopes, all planted between 50 and 300 metres above sea level. This broad sourcing is deliberate. By blending components from different microclimates, the cellar builds a consistent house style that balances the crisp acidity of cooler sites with the ripe generosity of warmer ones. It's the Western Cape's extraordinary diversity captured in a single glass.