Cuvée Clive

Veal, Pork, Game (deer, venison), Rich fish (salmon, tuna etc), Vegetarian, Poultry

In their pursuit of the perfect bubble, Graham Beck consistently raises the bar in terms of quality and distinction and has firmly established themselves as one of the world’s leading sparkling wine brands, devoted to quality and consistency. Since the launch of their maiden Méthode Cap Classique in 1991 these sought after, much lauded sparkling wines have not only been the celebratory toasts of international icons such as Mandela and Obama, but also garnered some of the industry’s most prestigious global accolades. Situated in the breathtaking Robertson Wine Valley (located a mere 140km from Cape Town in South Africa’s spectacular Western Cape Winelands), Graham Beck focuses on minimal intervention, allowing the authentic essence of the fruit and terroir to shine through. The unique climate of the region, combined with the rich limestone soils, produce wines which have become popular across the globe for their authenticity, versatility and elegance. At their state-of-the-art Cap Classique cellar the team crafts a range of internationally acclaimed Méthode Champenoise style wines, widely regarded as benchmarks in the industry.

Our bubbly maestros have selected three exceptional Chardonnay parcels within our Robertson estate. Here, the limestone-rich and calcareous soils are beautifully intermingled with clay subsoils. This unique terroir imparts a distinct character to the Chardonnay, adding a sought-after minerality and freshness. For the 5% Pinot Noir used in this blend, we journeyed to Napier, where the vines thrive on hilly slopes comprised of decomposed granite. This sublime combination of location and grape variety contributes an irresistible allure to our flagship cuvée. 2018 presented viticultural challenges due to the severe drought gripping the Western Cape. However, our decision in 2016 to become a specialist Cap Classique producer led to a newfound understanding and vineyard management approach. As a result, we harvested a healthy and beautifully balanced crop with exceptional aromatic profiles. All the grapes were meticulously hand-picked and selected for gentle whole-bunch pressing. The three distinct Chardonnay blocks were harvested separately in the cool early hours on the 22nd, 24th and 25th of January, while the Pinot Noir was harvested on the 8th of February.

After ageing on the primary lees in their respective vessels for 5 months, the components were blended and bottled on 11th June 2018 for secondary fermentation in the bottle. The wine matured on the lees for 5 years before disgorgement.

Upon arrival at the cellar, each parcel was gently whole-bunch pressed, extracting only the first 400L/ton - known as the cuvée fraction - for the purpose of this blend. Two of the Chardonnay portions underwent barrel fermentation in a combination of old Piece Champenoise (205L) barrels and Foudres (2000L), constituting 70% of the final blend. The third portion is fermented in stainless steel tanks. The Pinot Noir is entirely fermented in stainless steel.