Cap Classique is South African sparkling wine made by means of wine undergoing a secondary fermentation in bottle. The bottle is filled with wine, to which sugar and yeast are added, causing the second fermentation. This gives off carbon dioxide – the bubble in the final product.

The inaugural Cap Classique Report convened by Winemag.co.za and sponsored by multinational financial services company Prescient is now out. There were 50 entries received from 27 producers and these were tasted blind (labels out of sight) by a three-person panel, scoring done according to the 100-point quality scale.

The 10 best wines overall were as follows:

Babylonstoren Sprankel 2014

Babylonstoren Sprankel 2015

Benguela Cove Joie de Vivre 2017

Cavalli Capriole 2018

Delaire Graff Sunrise Brut NV

Genevieve Blanc de Blancs 2015

Kleine Zalze Brut NV

Kleine Zalze Vintage Brut 2013

Peter Falke Signature Noelina 2015

Simonsig Cuvée Royale Blanc de Blancs 2014

Congratulations to both Babylonstoren and Kleine Zalze in particular on having two wines each in the top 10.

Out of the Top 10, four were 100% Chardonnay, the two wines from Babylonstoren were heavily Chardonnay dominated, three were more equal Chardonnay:Pinot blends and then the more maverick Delaire Graff consisting of 64% Chenin Blanc, 30% Chardonnay and 6% Cabernet Franc.

To read the report in full, including key findings, tasting notes for the top seven and scores on the 100-point quality scale for all wines entered, or go Winemag.co.za for the results.