Pieter Ferreira Sparkling Wine: New Releases

Pieter Ferreira has become the face of high quality South African sparkling wine (Method Cap Classique). With over three decades under his belt as chef de caves at Graham Beck, he and his wife Ann Ferreira embarked on their own, eponymous project Pieter Ferreira Cap Classique (owned and managed by Ann) and released their first wines from the 2012 vintage five years ago.  The critics were immediately impressed. Reviewing the 2013 Blanc de Blancs for our 2020 report on South Africa’s Outstanding Sparkling Wines, we said it was “the most elegant sparkling wine we’ve yet tasted from South Africa.”

Pieter “Bubbles” Ferreira grew up in Durban in KwaZuluNatal, the son of a wine distributor. With wine in his blood, he began an apprenticeship with Achim von Arnim making sparkling wine in 1984 at the Cabriére cellar, South Africa’s first sparkling wine specialist.  He worked Champagne harvests at Mumm, George Vesselle and Moët & Chandon as well as with Jack and Jamie Davies at Schramsberg in the Napa Valley. In 1990 he joined Graham Beck at the Madeba farm in Robertson with the objective of making the estate a world leader in sparkling wine production. He still serves as cellar master at Graham Beck. He also advises Antony Beck (current owner of Graham Beck) on his new sparkling wine project, Lytle-Barnett in Oregon. Pieter is a member of the Cape Winemakers Guild.

The Wines

Pieter Ferreira 2019 Birdsong Extra Brut MCC Western Cape 93 A beautifully crafted Brut with a fine mousse. Very fresh and focused, with incisive citrus and orchard fruit along with a brioche note. A finely textured, energetic wine with nice mid-palate depth. A blend of 72% Chardonnay and 28% Pinot Noir bottled August 2019 and disgorged October 2023. 3.78 g/L dosage and 12% alc.

Pieter Ferreira 2017 Blanc de Blancs MCC Western Cape 95 The Blanc de Blancs was the first release from Pieter Ferreira in 2012, and it has always been our favorite of Ann and Pieter’s bubbles. The 2017 vintage with almost 6 years on the lees is the finest yet. The bouquet reveals incisive aromas of toasted grain, poached pear and lemon pith. There’s overall finesse on the palate with citrus and a hint of hazelnut. An exceptionally good MCC. 100% Robertson fruit; base wine fermented 15% in oak; dosage 1.6 g/L.

Pieter Ferreira 2017 Rosé MCC Western Cape 92  Fragrant bouquet of cherry skin and red currant followed by a fine mousse. The wine offers a firm, sculpted palate with a hint of cassis. 100% Pinot Noir bottled September 2017 and disgorged October 2023. 2.6 g/L dosage, 11.9% alc.

Thanks to my colleague, Mike Bampfield-Duggan of Wine Concepts in the Newlands, who accompanied me on this visit.

Don Winkler, Ann Ferreira, and Mike Bampfield-Duggan