Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs 2006

Rich, yeasty aromas with hints of clean lime fruit on the nose. An exciting fine mousse and a creamy complexity on the palate. The wine ends with an elegant long finish.

"This was the most beautiful and rewarding sparkler at Cape Wine and it is still one of the best values in the world." - Matthew Jukes' Top 50 from Cape Wine 2008


variety : Chardonnay [ 100% Chardonnay ]
winery : Graham Beck
winemaker : Pieter Ferreira
wine of origin : Robertson
analysis : alc : 12.10 % vol  rs : 11.08 g/l  pH : 3.16  ta : 6.19 g/l  
type : Sparkling  style : Dry   wooded
pack : Bottle  closure : Cork  

AWARDS
2008 Veritas Awards - Silver Medal
in the vineyard : Chardonnay is chosen from the "Limestone" vineyards. These vineyards have high natural lime content in the soil, which ensures a low pH and high natural acidity in the young base wines.

about the harvest: Chardonnay is hand-picked at 19.5° to 20.2° Brix during the last week of January. Grapes are picked into lug boxes for whole bunch handling. These bins are then sent to the cellar for whole bunch pressing. Yield is between 8 to 10 ton/ha.

in the cellar : Whole bunch pressing ensures fractional recovery. Only the cuvèe juice (premium juice = 500 litre per ton) is chosen for fermentation. Of the cuvèe, 50% is fermented in specific Piece Champenoise 205 litre barrels to ensure richness and extra dimension of flavour and creamy texture.

Only 7% new barrels are added each year to the balance of older barrels to ensure harmony during the fermentation. After fermentation the wine in barrels is selectively blended with other parcels of the best Chardonnay, that were fermented in stainless steel. The final blended base wine is then bottled for the second fermentation with yeast contact of at least 36 months before degorgement.

Cooper: A selection of light toast, tight grain Piece Champenoise barrels from the central forests in France.

Cellar: Produced in the Méthode Cap Classique Cellar, Robertson.

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