MCC

From the Fine Wine Safari Cellar – Part 9: Tasting the Graham Beck Cap Classique Blanc de Blancs 2012…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Situated in South Africa’s breathtakingly pretty Robertson wine region, Graham Beck has firmly established itself as a premier global benchmark for Cap Classique quality, the country’s prestigious traditional method sparkling wine style. Crafted on a unique estate defined by limestone-rich soils and extreme diurnal temperature swings, these world-class bubblies showcase an exceptional balance of bright acidity, vibrant fruit profiles, and complex depth.

While the estate’s entire portfolio captures the essence of refined Cap Classique craftsmanship, most notably with their premium ‘Cuvee Clive’ bottling, their Blanc de Blancs stands out historically as a true crowning jewel. Crafted from 100% hand-selected Chardonnay clones and partially fermented in Champenoise barrels, this acclaimed vintage sparkling wine epitomises true elegance. Extended lees aging infuses the palate with rich layers of creamy brioche and roasted almonds, building toward a long, saline-tinged finish.  

Now retired from Graham Beck and focusing on his own label, Pieter ‘Bubbles’ Ferreira was the mastermind behind Graham Beck’s global Cap Classique dominance.

Whether marking a historic moment, such as being poured at the presidential celebrations of Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama, or elevating an intimate gathering, Graham Beck’s Cap Classique wines capture the true spirit of celebration. Ultimately, their Blanc de Blancs serves as an undeniable testament to South Africa’s world-class sparkling wine culture and terroir.

Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs 2012, WO Western Cape, 12.5% Abv. 

Still a fresh vibrant bright golden lemon yellow in the glass, the wine is zippy and fresh, the bubbles dancing in the glass with verve and vigour. The first sniff confirms the youthful machinations of this wine, loaded with brioche, bergamot lemons, hints of honey and leesy autolysis. Most importantly, the tertiary notes are pure, precise and beautifully integrated with the citrus and toasted sourdough nuances, finishing with real electricity, an energetic mousse and delightfully tangy acids. Guests I served this blind to called Blanc de Blancs but went straight to Champagne because of its creamy balance, acid freshness and overall complexity. What a treat when ageing a wine rewards you like this. Drink now but no rush at all!

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Another Excellent South African Cap Classique Sparkling Wine – Tasting the Quoin Rock Black Series 2017…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

This impressive Black Series Cap Classique uses Pinot Noir grapes harvested from the Elgin region and Chardonnay from the cool Agulhas region. Elgin has a wonderfully cool climate where the vines grow in sandstone soils laced with silica quartz fragments and acidic Bokkeveld shales rich in iron.

The Chardonnay is grown on Quoin Rock’s Boskloof farm on Koffieklip and gravel soils where the vines are also exposed to the cooling influences of the Atlantic Ocean air ensuring that the berries ripen evenly while retaining a vibrant natural acidity. The grapes were harvested from different sections of the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blocks at different times before being transported to the vinification cellar located in Stellenbosch.

Made from a final blend of 54% Chardonnay and 46% Pinot Noir that was all harvested in February 2017, vinified and then aged on its lees for 5 years. The wine was bottled on the 23rd of September 2022, and while the 2018 release is also currently on sale, this pretty 2017 MCC is still available cellar door for R900 per bottle (£38pb).

Quoin Rock Black Series Cap Classique 2017, WO Western Cape, 12.91% Abv.

8.7g/l RS | 8.0g/l TA | 3.05pH

A bright shimmering bronze gold, the aromatics are striking, packed full of lemon and lime peel, salty brine, salted pistachios, honey brittle candy before savoury, leesy, brioche nuances develop in the glass. The palate steals the show with a density, intensity, and superb freshness combined with a harmonious balancing pear and white citrus length, carried with purity and precision on a piercing, creamy moussed finish. This really is a classy Cap Classique wine that can challenge some of the best premium Champagne cuvées out there. Drink now and over the next 5 to 8+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

http://www.quoinrock.co.za

Graham Beck – In Good Company with Pieter ‘bubbles’ Ferreira and Some Great Bottles of Fizz…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

I had been looking forward to my lunch tasting date with Pieter ‘Bubbles’ Ferreira for many weeks. The opportunity to discuss Method Cap Classique (MCC) and Champagne intricacies with one of South Africa’s best winemakers is always a privilege … and of course MCC was my topic of choice for my Master of Wine dissertation completed back in 2007. 

New 2011 Cuvee Clive MCC release
On this trip, Pieter and Graham Beck Export Manager Kobie were on their well rehearsed mission to share the diversity and opportunities that great MCC offers with fine cuisine food matching. 


Expertly conceived and delivered, I can’t think of a better way to promote super premium sparkling wines than this. Well done chaps! Great wines and a wonderful occasion.

Graham Beck Cuvee Clive 2011 Brut, 12.5 Abv. 

This excellent 76% Chardonnay / 24% Pinot Noir prestige cuvee blend spent 6 years on its lees and was created from 120 micro-vinified parcels of fruit from Robertson and Graham Beck’s Firgrove farm in Stellenbosch. This new release shows fantastic lemon cream biscuit and seductive brioche notes, lemon rind, salty briney intensity and subtle wet chalk and savoury lemony sourdough complexity. Such subtlety, interwoven, nuanced blossom fruit and limestone minerality. The palate breadth and depth is tantalising, with tingling acids dancing across the tongue but tempered by rich creamy brioche, and leesy, dusty mineral restraint. Beautiful pin point focus, delicate maritime salty kelp and salt marsh umami notes, and a very long, intense, focused finished. This is a benchmark sparkling wine in every possible way and a phenomenal follow-up to both the 2009 and 2010 Cuvee Clive vintages. Pieter Bubbles Ferreira is a veritable genius! 

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Burrata, caviar, confit lemon, fennel

Prawn pain perdu, cucumber relish, tarragon with Graham Beck Brut Zero 2011
Ayrshire beef chateaubriand, truffled potato with Graham Beck Vintage Rose 2012

Gooseberry posset, Gin sorbet and Graham Beck Brut NV

Great to be joined by Gary and Cathy Jordan from Jordan Winery in SA

Catching Up With the Legendary Pieter ‘Bubbles’ Ferreira in London…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

It’s been a long week with moderate jeg lag after arriving back from San Francisco last Sunday. By Friday, I felt I was just about back to normal, only waking up at 5am… instead of 3am. But there can certainly be no better pick-me-up than some bubbles, and today I had a lovely visit from Pieter ‘Bubbles’ Ferreira himself, the master of Cape MCC.


As someone who did their MW dissertation on MCC Production in Constantia Valley, I am of course a great lover and eternal ambassador of fine Cape Methode Champenoise sparking wines, or Methode Cap Classique as they are classified in South Africa. And there are no greater names in MCC circles than Bubbles Ferreira, who makes some of the greatest examples of bottle fermented sparkling wine outside of Champagne.


Interesting to hear from Pieter that MCC sales continue to grow around 14% per year for them in SA and I suspect this is probably only slightly higher than the overall category average. For three quarters of the year, South Africa is almost too hot to drink too much red wine, so beer, white wine and of course chilled bubbles are the order of the day. South Africa has developed into a serious producer and quality of MCC across the board is very high on average. Not surprisingly, South Africa is now also the largest market for French Champagne on the African continent.


So it was great to have another look at the famous Graham Beck Cuvee Clive 2009, the most prestigious cuvee in the Graham Beck portfolio and an absolute personification of Pieter’s passion and obsession for creating the perfect sparkling wine. Grab a bottle if you can get your hands on some of the tiny allocation that has made it to the UK for the first time.


Tasting Note: A blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, both were whole bunch pressed and only the tete de cuvee was used, being mostly fermented in stainless steel but with a small percentage in Piece Champenoise 205 litre oak barrels. The wine is pale straw and wonderfully vibrant and fresh. The nose is rich, subtly savoury and exceptionally complex, showing wonderful opulence and attractive notes of biscuit, dusty limestone, shitake mushrooms, and white truffles. The whole while, the nose and palate are underpinned by vibrant, creamy citrus fruit purity. Lemon and dried herbs, yellow grapefruit and white citrus blossom. The texture is hedonistic and luxurious with a real salty, briney sea breeze character coming through on the long, toasty, nutty finish. Beautiful creamy mousse is perfectly assembled and in fine balance with fresh acids and elegant mineral finesse. A truly world class expression. Bravo Bubbles Ferreira.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)