Graham Beck current releases

The skilled and widely respected Pieter Ferreira, incumbent at Cap Classique house Graham Beck since the maiden 1991 vintage, departed at the beginning of this year. The transition to a new era, however, appears set to be seamless, with Piere de Klerk, who has worked alongside Ferreira since now stepping up as cellarmaster.

Graham Beck is arguably now South Africa’s most prestigious bottle-fermented sparkling wine producer, with annual volumes reaching 2.5 million bottles and its Non-Vintage Brut the country’s second-largest-selling Cap Classique. The Robertson property extends to 3,500ha in total, with 160ha under vine and much of the remainder under conservation.

Tasting notes and ratings for the premium cuvées are as follows:

Blanc de Blancs 2020
Price: R420
100% Robertson Chardonnay. 46% of base wine fermented and matured for five months in old oak and foudre. Disgorged in January 2026. Citrus, apple, biscuit, a hint of vanilla, and a little flinty reduction on the nose. The palate is rich but balanced by a great line of acidity – big volume, creamy mousse, savoury finish. Alc: 12%.

CE’s rating: 93 | Luxurious

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Pinot Noir Rosé 2019
Price: R420
87% Pinot Noir from Napier, Robertson and Stellenbosch, 13% Chardonnay from Robertson. 10% matured in amphorae. Disgorged in October 2025. The noses shows red chery, strawberry, orange, earth and spice while the palate has good fruit depth, a creamy mousse and well-integrated acidity, the finish gently savoury. Alc: 12.21%

CE’s rating: 91 | Serious

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Ultra Brut 2018
Price: R420
65% Chardonnay from Agulhas, Robertson and Stellenbosch, 35% Roberston from Robertson. Fermented in stainless steel tank. Disgorged in January 2026. A shy nose of citrus, apple, strawberry plus a hint of leesy complexity. Great clarity of fruit – pure and fresh with a fine and lively mousse, the finish bone-dry.

CE’s rating: 95 | Classic

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Artisan Collection Chardonnay 14:277 2020
Price: R850
Grapes from Block 14 planted to clone 277. Base juice fermented in amphorae, ceramic pot and oak.  Five years on the lees. A pronounced leesy noted before citrus and biscuit on the nose. Good fruit density, bracing acidity and super-fine mousse, the finish long and savoury. Tasty and characterful rather than immaculately pure. Alc: 12%.

CE’s rating: 93 | Distinctive

Artisan Collection Pinot Meunier 2022
Price: R850
70% Robertson, 30% Elgin. Two years on the lees. Subtle notes of black cherry and earth on the nose. The palate is light with crisp acidity with a fine mousse. Elegant and quite stylish but stops short of delivering the depth and complexity expected at this price point. Alc: 12.19%.

CE’s rating: 90 | Distinctive

Cuvée Clive 2019
Price: R1,340
81% Robertson Chardonnay, 19% Durbanville Pinot Noir.  50% of the Chardonnay base juice fermented in oak barrels and foudre. 67 months on the lees. A floral top note before citrus, peach, strawberry, spice and a hint of flinty reduction. Very pure and direct on the palate – dense fruit, driving acidity and a super-fine mousse, the finish super-long and dry. Remarkably precise. Alc: 12.49%.

CE’s rating: 96 | Classic

Cuvée Clive X 2015
Price: R2,800

100% Chardonnay – 82% from Robertson, 18% from Darling. Some 65% of the base wine was fermented in older oak before maturation for 10 years on the lees. The nose is wonderfully primary, showing notes of floral perfume, citrus, peach and fresh bread, while the palate is rich and rounded – almost weighty by Cap Classique standards – yet held in check by vibrant acidity. The mousse is soft and creamy, contributing to an impression of lavishness, before a dry finish. Alc: 12.19%.

CE’s rating: 94 | Luxurious

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