We started harvest with Pinot Noir from Stellenbosch on Friday 6th January – with textbook analysis. What a way to start! We were honoured with a surprise visit by Antony Beck. It is great that he had the time to see a harvest parade and was really good to catch up. It has really been a while since he was in Robertson.
As per usual we somehow we managed to fit in our Harvest Parade on Monday 9 th January. It was especially memorable as we had Antony Beck present on the day. It was great to share this with him and indeed was a colourful one. Thank you to all who contributed to the parade and to all our visitors, we say thank you. The parade has become part of the “Madeba Magic” and history and is an integral part to announce the start of harvest…. Soon we will have a little clip to share with all of you, of this year’s 27 th parade.
The beautiful Chardonnay grapes were blessed by Pastor Kearney Malgas and there after Pieter ‘Plaas’ and his vineyard team handed over the ‘first’ load of grape to the cellar team and Chris du Toit, our CEO thanked everyone involved during harvest.
The official hand-over of the first load is concluded with a bottle of MCC been sabered and the sabered cork is given to our resident winemaker Pierre de Klerk – He is now the proud owner of his 7 th cork.
This year we have 3 cellar interns that will experience the harvest with us and hopefully will learn and take good memories home with them. We also have one of the CWG Protégé working in our vineyards. Let us find out a little more of them…..
Collette O’Leary:
She is currently the assistant winemaker at a UK-based sparkling wine producer, Bluebell Vineyard Estates, in West Sussex. They process around 70 tonnes per year and she is involved in all aspects of production including fermentation monitoring, rackings, lab analysis, fruit receival, pressing, blending and bottling for second fermentation. For more information please visit http://www.bluebellvineyard.org/#welcome
Collette is with us, to further develop her skills by gaining experience of sparkling wine production in a different region, working on a larger scale, and by learning from other experienced winemakers and contribute to a successful harvest.
Collette graduated in June 2014 with a first class honours degree in viticulture and oenology from Plumpton College in the UK. She have produced two small lot wines of my own, with one for commercial sale for one of the UK’s leading retailers, Marks & Spencer and have completed harvests in California, as well as in the UK. She is enthusiastic, incredibly motivated and not afraid to get her hands dirty and work the long hours required during harvest. She also have a strong attention to detail, excellent communication skills and extensive team management and supervision experience, gained through a previous career in marketing and PR. We are so happy to have her with us! Welcome to the Graham Beck “Harvest Family”!!!
Anne-Laura Aulon:
She completed her Science Degree in Biology & Biochemistry at the University of Sciences & Techniques in Besançon, France in 2012. Then she went on to complete her Science Degree in Vine Sciences at the University of Vine & Wine in Dijon, France in 2013. In 2014 she completed her first year of Masters Degree in Vine, Wine and Terroir at the University of Vine & Wine in Dijon, France and finally, for now, in 2016 – she achieved her Oenology diploma at the University of Vine & Wine in Dijon.
Anne-Laura work experience includes in 2014 Winemaking internship for Oenology Diploma at Moët & Chandon (Champagne, France): R&D department, experimental winery work and also internship and employee at Domaine Mugneret- Gibourg (Burgundy, France): vine and cellar work. In 2015: Winemaking internship for Oenology Diploma, at Nicolas Feuillatte (Champagne, France): determining a gluconic acid threshold to predict Botrytis cinerea’s impacts on Champagne base wines - Viticulture internship for Oenology Diploma at Deutz (Champagne, France): work on the specification on sustainable viticulture. In 2016: - Winemaker in charge of red wines at the cooperative winery of Montfrin (Côtes du Rhône, France)
She comes with a very good “Champagne Pedigree” and looking forward learning from Anne-Laura! Welcome to the Graham Beck “Harvest Family”.
Logan Jooste:
Studied in Stellenbosch specialising in viticulture and Logan is currently completing his CWG Protégé programme with us, on Madeba Farm. This programme supports by cultivating, nurturing and empowering promising individuals to become winemakers and viticulturists of excellence, the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé Programme plays an active role in the transformation of the industry to ensure its long term health and sustainability. In 2014 the Guild launched its Viticulture Protégé Programme in conjunction with VinPro. This two and a half year internship gives promising, newly graduated viticulturists hands-on training with regards to the intricacies of cultivation practices to ensure top quality grapes for the production of diverse wine types and styles. Logan has been a real asset to Pieter Fouche’s Vineyard team.
Theuns Liebenberg:
Grew up in Robertson – what we call a “local boytjie”! Went on to study Sports Marketing at Boland College. Theuns is interested in logistics for export and imports. His previous work was with Provincial Logistics. He is very keen to learn the intrinsics of winemaking to understand the product (wine) better to forward his logistics career. He has an opportunity this year with us, before he goes on to do a harvest hopefully in the USA later this year. Theuns is an extremely dedicated and hardworking and learns very quickly. Welcome!
The Harvest Roller Coaster – for the first week!
As always we will express the intake of grapes by means of the roller coaster. It is a fun way to follow volume. Herewith the 1st 7 days of harvest. Total 545.64 Tons = 20% of volume harvest completed.
Some interesting Champagne Trivia:
- 300 million bottles of champagne sold each year (roughly).
- 5 liters of carbon dioxide in each 0.75 liter
- When you pop the cork, the CO2 comes bubbling out to equalize with the surrounding air. That’s where the fizz comes
- 100 million bubbles in each bottle. That’s according to Gérard Liger-Belair, a researcher at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne who wrote the book (actually several) on bubbly. Eventually approximate 49 million remains after opening the
- Those bubbles do more than just give champagne its festive feeling. They’re integral to the way we taste it. As Liger-Belair explains, the bubbles carry aroma compounds into the air above the glass, where they
- 8 meters per second is how fast droplets rocket off the surface of champagne as bubbles burst. 8 m/s is about 29 km per hour. If you ran that fast for a kilometre you’d best the men’s world record by more than 20
- When you tilt the glass up for a sip, all those aroma molecules rush into our nose and mouth.
- 700 different chemicals make up the taste and smell of champagne. Liger-Belair identified 163 compounds that comprise the bulk of the mist above your glass. Among them he found decanoic acid, responsible for acid and toasty notes, and dodecanoic acid, which has a dry and metallic scent. Champagne also has palmitic acid (waxy and creamy) and ethyl myristate (sweet and waxy).
- Billie Holliday was right. “Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne,” she sang, “You go to my head.” Without them, the full complexity of champagne’s aroma would never reach our brain.
Worthy of Mention – Two years in a row!
After a successful inaugural “Battles of the Bubbles” in January 2016 – South African MCC vs England & Welsh Fizz, where Graham Beck Cuvee Clive 2009 came out top of the pops, so to speak this year’s “Battle of the Bubbles” was held on Sunday 8th January at The Vineyard Hotel. This is arranged by MCC Ambassador of the UK, Roger Jones. He has a one star Michelin Restaurant – The Harrow at Little Bedwyn.
The theme for this year’s “Battles of the Bubbles”- World Sparkling Wine saw Champagne and Sparkling Wines from seven different countries. The wines in the line-up:
MCC – South Africa Pongracz Brut NV Pongracz Rose NV Desiderius 2009 Plaisir De Merle Brut
Durbanville Hills Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc Durbanville Hills Blanc de Blancs
Avondale Armilla Blanc de Blanc 2009
Kleine Zalze Chardonnay/Pinot Noir MCC 2011 Simonsig Cuvée Royale
Delaire Graff Sunrise Klein Constanta Brut
Stellenrust Clement de Lure NV Graham Beck Brut Rose NV
Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2012 Graham Beck Vintage Rose 2011
Graham Beck Brut Zero 2010 Graham Beck Cuvée Clive 2011 Le Lude Brut NV
Le Lude Rose NV
Australia
Josef Chromy Tasmania NV
Pipers Brook 2009 Chardonnay/Pinot Jansz Premium Cuvée
Spain CAVA
Juve & Camps Reservation de la Familia Gran Juve & Camps
Juve & Camps Rose
UK
Britagne Coates & Seely Brut Reserve NV Wiston Rose 2011
Sugrue Pierre South Downs 2010 Denbies Sparkling NV
Wiston Blanc de Blancs 2010
New Zealand Nautilus NV Brut Germany
Von Bull Brut Reserve - Riesling
France
Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve
Food for thought:
“Things mentally strong people don’t do”: By Amy Mortin
- They don’t waste time feeling sorry for
- Don’t give away their
- Don’t shy away from
- Don’t focus on things they can’t
- Don’t worry about pleasing
- Don’t fear calculated
- Don’t dwell on the
- Don’t resent other people their
- Don’t give up after the first
- Don’t feel the world owes then anything and
- They don’t expect immediate