The 2015 Vintage Rosé Cap Classique by Pieter Ferreira is now available.
This Rosé offers wonderful balance, energetic freshness meeting ripe fruit and berry-perfume, all cloaked in elegance and restraint. Only the best Pinot Noir grapes were selected and then hand-picked. Prior to pressing, the whole bunches were allowed a brief, fleeting period of enzymatic colour extraction to draw sufficient natural colour from the red skins. The whole-bunches were gently pressed, with the separation of cuvée from the taille after which the clear juice was fermented in stainless steel. After the first fermentation, the wine was prepared for secondary fermentation in the bottle. The wine was left on the lees for 72 months before the sediment was removed in the traditional process of remuage and dégorgement. The bottles were then corked and laid down for a further six months cork maturation.
Lees Ageing
Why do we refer to “lees ageing” so often when we are talking about South African Cap Classique wines?
I asked this question of winemaker Pieter Ferreira at a wine dinner we held at Aubergine in late 2021. It seemed to me that nowhere else in the winemaking world does the number of months on lees dominate the narrative as it does in South Africa when talking about bottle-fermented bubbles. I wanted to know why South African Cap Classique producers were so obsessed by it.
He first explained to the room what lees, and lees ageing are, and what it does to the wine: Following the second fermentation in bottle, the yeasts die and fall to the bottom of the bottle – these dead yeast particles are what we call lees. Lees ageing is simply leaving the wine in contact with the lees – the minimum legal requirement for Cap Classique in South Africa is 12 months (previously 9 months) lees ageing.
Decanter suggests time on lees for sparkling wines: “…can create ‘autolytic’ flavours, such as brioche, biscuit or bread-like notes in the wine.”
Wine Enthusiast Magazine says: “… it develops pronounced round, full, creamy flavours that may present as nutty or yeasty, like warm brioche, in the finished wine.”
Compared with Champagne, South Africa has a very different growing season (one reason is that the Cape winelands are 1600km closer to the equator) and distinct soils. Sugar levels rise quicker, thus picking dates for MCC are much earlier (relative to the growing season) – which means that other components of the grapes are not at the same maturity. Pieter explained that this means the Cape grapes are more phenolic and less developed at the time of picking. Extended time on lees brings texture, complexity, nuance and body to directly address those factors. Some of these attributes can be obtained by other methods, but not with the same elegance and balance of flavours; for that time on lees is the only option. Of course, there can be too much of a good thing: left unchecked, flavours resulting from autolysis can end up overpowering the fruit. Pieter thinks that 5-6 years (60-72 months) for the highest quality Cape fruit is the sweet spot.
On the surface this may seem to indicate Cap Classique is the inferior product when compared with Champagne. Although the two wines certainly have far more in common than not, the two climates and soils are vastly different. As a direct result production processes differ in meaningful ways. I would argue that while the styles are similar, they are nonetheless distinct from each other. Both regions create unique wines of differing styles (and price points) – enough so that there is room in one’s cellar for both. As Pieter Ferreira puts: “We aren’t creating Champagne, we are creating South African Cap Classique“.
CLICK HERE for a useful article by Stevan Graf if you want to learn more about lees ageing.
Vintage 2015
The Cape Winelands 2015 vintage is a brilliant vintage – known as a ‘rockstar’ year for wine – due to mild, temperate conditions during the growing season which allowed for even-ripening of grapes. These beautiful ripeness levels in the Pinot Noir allowed for a wine offering a bright fresh acidity between the layers of structured complexity.
The Vineyard Sites
The grapes originate from various sites in the Stellenbosch and Stanford wine regions selected for their renowned ability to provide terroir-expressive Pinot Noir for Cap Classique production. Diverse soil compositions include ancient decomposed granite with some Table Mountain Sandstone.
The Wine
Attractive pale salmon pink with a touch of golden hue. Persistent and delicate bead and mousse, with fine bubbles rising slowly. A nose of sweet and sour cherries with fresh pear. Delicate fruit on the palate, elegant, and showing great finesse and brightness. Great vibrant mouth-feel with raspberry notes, tropical nuances leading to a bright long, lingering finish.
NEW: Pieter Ferreira Vintage Rosé MCC 2015
Pieter Ferreira Cap Classique
Vintage Rosé 2015
The 2015 Vintage Rosé Cap Classique by Pieter Ferreira is now available.
This Rosé offers wonderful balance, energetic freshness meeting ripe fruit and berry-perfume, all cloaked in elegance and restraint. Only the best Pinot Noir grapes were selected and then hand-picked. Prior to pressing, the whole bunches were allowed a brief, fleeting period of enzymatic colour extraction to draw sufficient natural colour from the red skins. The whole-bunches were gently pressed, with the separation of cuvée from the taille after which the clear juice was fermented in stainless steel. After the first fermentation, the wine was prepared for secondary fermentation in the bottle. The wine was left on the lees for 72 months before the sediment was removed in the traditional process of remuage and dégorgement. The bottles were then corked and laid down for a further six months cork maturation.
Lees Ageing
Why do we refer to “lees ageing” so often when we are talking about South African Cap Classique wines?
I asked this question of winemaker Pieter Ferreira at a wine dinner we held at Aubergine in late 2021. It seemed to me that nowhere else in the winemaking world does the number of months on lees dominate the narrative as it does in South Africa when talking about bottle-fermented bubbles. I wanted to know why South African Cap Classique producers were so obsessed by it.
He first explained to the room what lees, and lees ageing are, and what it does to the wine: Following the second fermentation in bottle, the yeasts die and fall to the bottom of the bottle – these dead yeast particles are what we call lees. Lees ageing is simply leaving the wine in contact with the lees – the minimum legal requirement for Cap Classique in South Africa is 12 months (previously 9 months) lees ageing.
Decanter suggests time on lees for sparkling wines: “…can create ‘autolytic’ flavours, such as brioche, biscuit or bread-like notes in the wine.”
Wine Enthusiast Magazine says: “… it develops pronounced round, full, creamy flavours that may present as nutty or yeasty, like warm brioche, in the finished wine.”
Compared with Champagne, South Africa has a very different growing season (one reason is that the Cape winelands are 1600km closer to the equator) and distinct soils. Sugar levels rise quicker, thus picking dates for MCC are much earlier (relative to the growing season) – which means that other components of the grapes are not at the same maturity. Pieter explained that this means the Cape grapes are more phenolic and less developed at the time of picking. Extended time on lees brings texture, complexity, nuance and body to directly address those factors. Some of these attributes can be obtained by other methods, but not with the same elegance and balance of flavours; for that time on lees is the only option. Of course, there can be too much of a good thing: left unchecked, flavours resulting from autolysis can end up overpowering the fruit. Pieter thinks that 5-6 years (60-72 months) for the highest quality Cape fruit is the sweet spot.
On the surface this may seem to indicate Cap Classique is the inferior product when compared with Champagne. Although the two wines certainly have far more in common than not, the two climates and soils are vastly different. As a direct result production processes differ in meaningful ways. I would argue that while the styles are similar, they are nonetheless distinct from each other. Both regions create unique wines of differing styles (and price points) – enough so that there is room in one’s cellar for both. As Pieter Ferreira puts: “We aren’t creating Champagne, we are creating South African Cap Classique“.
CLICK HERE for a useful article by Stevan Graf if you want to learn more about lees ageing.
Vintage 2015
The Cape Winelands 2015 vintage is a brilliant vintage – known as a ‘rockstar’ year for wine – due to mild, temperate conditions during the growing season which allowed for even-ripening of grapes. These beautiful ripeness levels in the Pinot Noir allowed for a wine offering a bright fresh acidity between the layers of structured complexity.
The Vineyard Sites
The grapes originate from various sites in the Stellenbosch and Stanford wine regions selected for their renowned ability to provide terroir-expressive Pinot Noir for Cap Classique production. Diverse soil compositions include ancient decomposed granite with some Table Mountain Sandstone.
The Wine
Attractive pale salmon pink with a touch of golden hue. Persistent and delicate bead and mousse, with fine bubbles rising slowly. A nose of sweet and sour cherries with fresh pear. Delicate fruit on the palate, elegant, and showing great finesse and brightness. Great vibrant mouth-feel with raspberry notes, tropical nuances leading to a bright long, lingering finish.
Also available: the last few bottles of Pieter Ferreira Vintage Rosé 2013
Read more about Pieter Ferreira Cap Classique
Shop for more Pieter Ferreira Cap Classiques
Please contact david@exanimo.co.za if you have any queries.