The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, which translates as Heaven on Earth, rises prettily from just west of Hermanus.

When we first visited in 2003 the wineries, notably Hamilton Russell and Bouchard Finlayson, were all in the lower part of the valley, but more recently plantings at the top of the valley - higher, drier, with warmer days but cooler nights - have increased. Enjoying naturally low pH soils, and moderate temperatures, cooled by winds from the ocean, this really is a sweet spot in the Cape.

Domaine des Dieux is a small estate just above Ataraxia at the very top of the valley in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge zone. The farm, with vineyards on the slopes of Babylon’s Toren mountain, was bought in 2002, with an initial focus on making the first sparkling wines in Hemel-en-Aarde (and boy have they succeeded).

Megan Mullis and her mother Sharon are the driving forces behind the winery and the focus is on Methode Cap Classique mellowed with long bottle ageing and extensive autolysis, as well as classic Hemel-en-Aarde Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

I tasted dozens of Methode Cap Classique sparkling wines last September when I was in the Cape and very few could match those from des Dieux. Indeed a notable British wine merchant who has made wine in the Cape for many years told me they were the best he had tasted at the CapeWine trade fair. High praise indeed.