Newstead Cap Classique Blanc de Blancs 2018

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• Derek | 12 September 2026

  Interestingly I too had a bottle this week and, to me, it looked, smelled and tasted oxidised. I have to assume it was a “faulty” bottle.Tasted very “developed” with dull fruit. No issues with the mousse though?

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  • Christian Eedes | 12 September 2026

    Hi Derek, Disgorgement and subsequent bottle ageing can be an issue with older Cap Classique, and bottle variation is certainly possible. Your description sounds entirely plausible. My bottle was quite developed, but certainly not oxidised or dull. My description of the mousse also wasn’t intended pejoratively.

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    • Derek | 13 September 2026

      Thanks for the reply Christian. It was a disappointing bottle and certainly not up to the standard of previous bottles of which I’ve had plenty. All part of the interesting and sometimes capricious journey of vinous enjoyment.

      Reply
• Sam Venter | 13 September 2026

  Newstead seems to be the only one of the Plett wineries to be taken seriously, that has managed to spread their wings beyond Plett, Bramon had their day but seems to have faded; others seem content with selling to friends and local restaurants. Newstead has twice won the SA Cap Classique challenge, something the region should have capitalised on, but failed to do (possibly due to egos and insularity). There’s a lot of money and ego going in, with little return outside of Plett.
  Interested to hear your thoughts Christian.

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  • Christian Eedes | 14 September 2026

    I think there’s something to the observation that Plett has never really converted the quality of some of its wines into a broader regional identity. Newstead is a good example of what can happen with consistency, ambition and a willingness to look beyond the local market.

    The Cap Classique success is particularly interesting. You’d think repeated national recognition would have been something the area could build around collectively. But I’m wary of attributing the lack of progress simply to ego or insularity. Limited scale, distribution challenges, and the sheer difficulty of establishing a wine region outside the traditional Cape centres probably all play a part.

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