House of BNG Brut
By Christian Eedes, 30 April 2019
8
Many lay claim to the title of “influencer” but media personality Bonang Matheba is the real deal with 2.6 million followers on Instagram and 3.43 million on Twitter. Her latest foray into retail sees her launching two examples of Méthode Cap Classique under the House of BNG label, a Brut and a Brut Rosé, the wines made by Jeff Grier of Villiera and available from Woolworths for the not inconsiderable sum of R399.99 a bottle each. Tasting notes and ratings as follows:
House of BNG Brut Non-vintage
Straw yellow in colour. Apple, peach and some yeasty character on the nose. Rich, full and not unduly sweet on the palate. Tangy acidity plays off against a fine mousse. Perfectly respectable if not super-complex.
Editor’s rating: 87/100.
House of BNG Brut Rosé Non-vintage
Coppery pink in colour. The nose shows strawberry, Turkish Delight and some earthiness. The palate is rich and broad with a creamy mousse. Inoffensive but a bit flat and short.
Editor’s rating: 86/100.
Find our South African wine ratings database here.
Gilles P | 3 May 2019
I find the review from Christian very “polite” for a scoring which in the end is one of the lowest I have seen on this website in a long time. No surprise here about the score though!!!!! We surely not the target audience.
Christian Eedes | 2 May 2019
I believe we should keep an open mind about this initiative. Asked for comment on Villiera’s involvement, Jeff Grier said to me: “For us it an attempt to crack a new market – very interesting. The marketing is on steroids in relation to the traditional methods.” What jars for me is that the quality in the bottle doesn’t appear to be in the same league as the usually excellent Villiera Monro Brut which sells for anything between R230 and R290 a bottle…
Jabulani Debedu | 2 May 2019
And therein lies the problem, i suspect. The sharp variance between quality and price. It is particularly galling when quality MCCs such as L’ormarins, Steenberg, Simonsig, Graham Beck , Le Lude etc do not command similar price points.
Peter May | 30 April 2019
I’m sure I’m not the consumer this wine is targeted at, but those gold bottles look unutterably naff and there’s no way I’d have one on my dining table whatever the price.
Kwispedoor | 30 April 2019
Are you unaware of Villiera’s regular bottlings? Did you get a golden crown on a perfectly healthy tooth? Do your hubcaps still spin after your car has come to a standstill? Then this wine is targeted at you.
Duncan | 30 April 2019
If only the bottles had the understated good taste of European bubbly like Veuve Rich or Bottega Gold
Jabulani Debedu | 2 May 2019
Agreed Peter, the packaging is irredeemably tacky for a supposedly premium product.
Gilles P | 3 May 2019
Fully agree here.