Winemaker Notes
Ultra Brut is the quintessence of the Graham Beck style. With a viridescent hue, this Cap Classique opens up with a lively bouquet of lemon zest and brioche notes. The rich, complex palate is perfectly balanced by fresh acidity and an exceptionally refined mousse - a benchmark of the 2017 vintage. Endowed with a deliciously creamy texture and a rewarding finish, this ultra-dry sparkling wine is ideal to drink now or in the next 5 or 8 years.
Ultra Brut is an exhilarating and rewarding food wine, pairing effortlessly with fresh oysters or lobster.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Delightful white flower and citrus aromas with a maritime note on the fringes. Compact and focused with a crunchy green apple acidity and fantail of creamy sourdough.
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James Suckling
Aromas of ripe lemons, golden apples, almonds and honeysuckle. Medium- to full-bodied with creamy texture and fine bubbles. Dry and chalky on the palate with mineral, citrusy finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Initially subdued on the nose, the 2017 Ultra Brut is 67% Chardonnay and 33% Pinot Noir and opens with citrus with leesy aromas before showing a lighter frame with a mineral undertone. It's light to medium-bodied, with a fresh, succulent and delightfully weighted palate with a textual expression. It will remain food friendly for years. 35,194 bottles were left on the primary lees for six months before bottle aging for 5-6 years prior to release.
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Wine Spectator
A creamy sparkler, with a zesty bead. Offers flavors of baked pear, lemon curd and graham cracker, plus savory hints of smoke and brine. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now. 300 cases made, 75 cases imported.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Within the Breede River Valley in South Africa, Robertson is a warm and dry winegrowing region notable for its white wines. The region is home to an increasing number of estates and cooperatives.