The Great Bubbly debate
Tuesday, 7 January, 2014
Graham Howe
Some of the Cape’s top makers of Méthode Cap Classique comment on the evolution of viticultural and winemaking techniques over the last three decades - and the growing maturation of the sparkling wine market in South Africa.
“I haven’t found the perfect bubble yet” declares Pieter “Bubbles” Ferreira who released Graham Beck’s first non-vintage Cap Classique thirty years ago in 1993. Three decades later, at the launch of the cellar’s new MCC brand campaign under the banner “In Pursuit of the Perfect Bubble”, the cellar master spoke about the finer points of making bubbly over a key tasting of seven styles of Graham Beck MCC.
Wine writers present were treated to a lesson in the evolution of Cap Classique winemaking in South Africa over the last decade. For Pieter, making MCC starts with “base wine identities” - working with over 85 building blocks of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced from twelve different regional terroirs from cool climate vineyards of Elgin, Hemel-en-Aarde and Stanford to Darling, Durbanville, Paarl and Tulbagh. Beck’s own vineyards in the limestone soils of Robertson and Firgrove play a major role. Pieter adds, “We like to add regionality to the Beck portfolio”.
On the importance of developing a house style in the champagne tradition, Pieter emphasises consistency of his non-vintage brut blend - and the importance of building stocks of reserve sparkling wine for adding texture and complexity. He says, “We’ve learned the trade from the champenoise. We respect them, we speak the same language - but we try to make a uniquely South African sparkling wine.”
Pieter moves onto technical aspects of the crush, emphasising the role of whole bunch pressing to maintain the delicate fruit flavours and minimal colour pigmentation of the must - and to separate the juice between the cuvée and fractions of the taille in the French tradition. “I know how to squeeze. Ask my wife!” he quips. “We never have to acidify our base wines” he adds, “We ferment in stainless steel tanks to maintain the acidity and natural freshness. To add creamy texture, we use a small portion of barrel-fermented Chardonnay in our MCCs - in sought-after barrels made by Bollinger’s cooper who steams the staves to avoid introducing smoky bacon character.”
Graham Beck is also experimenting with Chardonnay grapes sourced from two control vineyards using wild and commercial yeasts with the University of Stellenbosch. “The bubble is the study of many things” concludes Pieter. “How fine the bubble is the question. Next year we’ll have an even more refined bubble. I’d like to keep a Cap Classique ten years on the lees, then release it shortly after disgorgement.”
John Loubser, one of the Cape’s leading winemakers at Steenberg Vineyards and his own Silverthorn Wines, contributes to the great bubbly debate. At a tasting of three styles of Silverthorn MCC - Genie Rosé, The Green Man (Blanc de Blancs) and Jewel Box (a maiden reserve blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) - he comments, “The first wine I made was an MCC. You must avoid developing the base wine too much. A base wine which is austere, linear, tight and mineral will develop in the bottle over time and become rich and complex. It should drink well in ten years”.
Cap Classique is also going beyond the traditional champagne varieties. John’s latest venture is Steenberg’s Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc - a Constantia wine of origin bottle-fermented for three months (hence not an MCC) which is styled like prosecco Accessible and funky, it is floral and fruity - showcasing the character of the signature white variety at Steenberg. John calls it “Sauvignon on steroid for hipsters - like a cleansing sorbet.” Trendily packaged under a funky orange label, it joins best-selling sparkling Sauvignon Blanc made by Bramon, Van Loveren and J.C Le Roux.
And at the Chenin Blanc Summer Showcase in late 2013, I tasted Ken Forrester’s maiden Sparkling Horse MCC 2011 - made, of course, from 100% Chenin Blanc which spent 14 months on the lees. A sparkling Chenin with a creamy mousse, classic varietal flavours (quince and pear) and a delightful rocking horse label, it joins the ranks of Bosman’s MCC Steen (the retro name for Chenin Blanc) and others - and reminded me of some of the cremant style sparkling wines from the Loire.
The unique Cape spin on sparkling wine is one of the delights for tourists doing the new Franschhoek Cap Classique route. Although most MCC in the Franschhoek Wine Valley is made from the classic “champagne” varieties, visitors can also sample Miss Molly Petite Rouge (100% Pinotage) and Môreson Gala Cuvée Cape (a blend of Pinotage) - as well as Allée Bleue’s Brut Rosé MCC (Chenin, Pinotage and Pinot).
Topiary Wines is one of 18 cellars on Franschhoek’s Cap Classique route - linking specialist MCC cellars Haute Cabrière, Colmant, Môreson and the state-of-the-art MCC line at Anthonij Rupert for its new L’Ormarins MCC portfolio. Mark Carmichael Green of Topiary, comments, “We’re seeing a growing maturity in the MCC market. Making MCC is about refined winemaking. One mistake and it accentuates any other faults. Dosage is the golden thread. No winemaker will share that secret. You either make it to drink young or to age. The longer the hang time, the longer on lees, the greater the complexity of fruit. Hence the search for cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. You get very clean fruit from whole bunch pressing”
Carmichael Green explains, “We always seem to be one step behind in South Africa - The MCC group is the exception in terms of branding and viticulture. Simonsig and Villiera laid the groundwork for making top quality MCC. We are producing better quality MCC all the time. It’s even gone full circle to the point where it’s okay to make slightly sweeter MCC. Younger drinkers start on the sweeter stuff at the entry-level and evolve to drinking MCC. We can’t hold back big volumes of reserve vintage wines in South Africa - not like champagnes which carry weight as brands in France.”
I also visited Môreson winery, a specialist MCC cellar on the Franschhoek MCC route, home to six styles of Cape Classique under the Môreson and Miss Molly labels - and to Neil Jewell’s legendary Bread & Wine bistro. Winemaker Clayton Reabow, Diner’s Club Young Winemaker of the Year (2009), is passionate about MCC. He says, “We’re building a Franschhoek wine of origin brand, terroir and identity”.
Over the tasting, Clayton declares, “I detest a young MCC with biscuity and yeasty character on release. That must come with age. Low PH and high natural acid in the base wine means a sparkling wine will age well”. Môreson MCC One 2007, a flagship blend of Chardonnay and Pinot, spent 36 months on lees and 36 months on cork. He concludes “I don’t want to express too much fruit. I’m after finesse and restraint”.
Winemaker Lizelle Gerber was overall winner at the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge Awards 2013 for Boschendal’s Grand Cuvée Brut 2009. She comments, “Everything starts in the vineyard with perfect grapes and conditions”. The winning MCC’s across five categories - Boschendal, Colmant, Graham Beck, Rickety Bridge and Simonsig - were controversially served in traditional Burgundy wine glasses. Miguel Chan, sommelier and judge, explained, “These glasses suit Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the two Burgundian varieties; they open up the wine, release the aromas slowly and reveal the intricacies. They’ve been used for sparkling wine since 2003”.
You’re never too old to learn a new trick in the wine trade. It looks like its time to pack away your collection of old bubbly coupes and flutes. What would Marie Antoinette and ‘ol King Louis, the sun king say? “Apres moi, le fines bulles deluge?”
Caption: Winners of Amorim Cap Classique Challenge 2013 JP Colmant, Danie de Bruyn of Rickety Bridge, Pierre de Klerk of Graham Beck, Hannes Meyer of Simonsig. Lizelle Gerber of Boschendal
Graham Howe is a well-known gourmet travel writer based in Cape Town. One of South Africa's most experienced lifestyle journalists, he has contributed hundreds of food, wine and travel features to South African and British publications over the last 25 years.
He is a wine and food contributor for wine.co.za, which is likely the longest continuous wine column in the world, having published over 500 articles on this extensive South African wine portal. Graham also writes a popular monthly print column for WineLand called Howe-zat.
When not exploring the Cape Winelands, this adventurous globetrotter reports on exotic destinations around the world as a travel correspondent for a wide variety of print media, online, and radio.
Over the last decade, he has visited over seventy countries on travel assignments from the Aran Islands and the Arctic to Borneo and Tristan da Cunha - and entertained readers with his adventures through the winelands of the world from the Mosel to the Yarra.