Quick now. Yes, just through here. Down the steps. Yes, yes, down you go โ mind your head. As laboratories go, this is most definitely one of the best. No, there arenโt any Bunsen burners or big-bottomed flasks connected by twirly-whirly tubing puffing out colourful clouds of gas โ though there might as well be โ but there are wonders bubbling away. Welcome to Graham Beckโs Research & Development Cellar. Itโs a thing to behold. The sparkle of choice for presidents (thatโs Nelson Mandela and Barak Obama, not to mention some royals thrown in for good measure), Graham Beck has long been a leader of Cap Classique, both in rank and global footprint. Yet, for Graham Beck, mastery lies in eternal study. โWeโre in a relentless pursuit of the perfect bubble,โ says cellar master Pierre de Klerk. โNothing is knee-jerk here. Everything is researched to the finest point.โ
Enter the Artisan Collection: a space for Pierre and COO Pieter Ferreira to treat as a blank canvas to get creative, innovate and experiment.
Like all great experiments, from penicillin to potato chips, the Extra Brut 157 2009 began by accident. Tank 13 (100% new oak Chardonnay) needed to be pumped into tank 96, a classic case of dyslexia fell into the mix, and the wine ended up in tank 69, containing Pinot Noir. Not ideal. The wooded portion of Chardonnay completely overpowered the resulting blend. โIt was like moving toothpicks around your mouth,โ laughs Pieter. Time was the answer, the cellar team thought. And time it got. 157 months of time (thatโs 13 years and one month for those of you who stopped doing the 12 times table around the invention of the calculator). The result was one of complex, soft opulence. โThe beauty here is in the tertiary characteristics,โ says Pieter of this niche study on lees ageing. โItโs full of umami, yet still exceptionally fresh.โ
In contrast, the Pinot Meunier 2022 was deliberately constructed to be a wine of firsts: South Africaโs first single-varietal Pinot Meunier fermented under cork, as well as Graham Beckโs first Blanc de Noir. It was only thanks to Graham Beckโs eagle-eyed consulting viticulturist, who, while whizzing past a vineyard at 120km/h in Robertson, spotted 10 rows of the grape โ a rare sighting, as there are only 15.9ha of Pinot Meunier in the entire country. Call it fate, but shortly after, they were offered a second parcel of Pinot Meunier, this time from Elgin. Every vessel was tested to find the very best expression, resulting in a combination of neutral French oak barrels, terracotta amphorae, ceramic pots, and stainless steel tanks. Using the Agrafe method, a cork was chosen as closure for the secondary fermentation instead of a crown cap, allowing for unique flavour development and resulting in a beautifully elegant, soft-fruited yet vibrant bubble (rumour has it Tim Atkin applauded when he first tasted itโฆ).
If, as William Blake once said, the true method of knowledge is experiment, then the proof is in the Cuvรฉe Clive. The pinnacle of the brand, thereโs no recipe or formula here. Pierre and the team take a carte blanche approach to finding the best wine of the vintage. โWeโre looking for a wine that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up,โ says Pierre. โThe glass shouldnโt touch the table before you take the next sip.โ Made with 95% Chardonnay from the estateโs limestone-rich Robertson fruit, itโs the 5% Pinot Noir from Napier that truly tips the scale here. โTime after time, that bit of Pinot Noir worked for us. If a wine is that good next to a Blanc de Blancs, you canโt just ignore or discard it.โ Having won Tim Atkinโs Cap Classique of the Year six times, this just might be the best Cap Classique in the world.
So while youโre down here, go on, grab a few bottles. Do it in the name of science. And be back soon! You never know what experiments might be happening nextโฆ
