Graham Beck, Western Cape (South Africa) 2012

 It is quite difficult to make no-dosage sparkling wine that doesn’t come off as hard or austere, often requiring a long period of bottle aging on the yeast lees from the second fermentation prior to disgorging.  That period was a full five years in this case, and, well… it worked beautifully.  Blended from 80 percent Chardonnay and 20 percent Pinot Noir, this shows the slightest pinkish hue, which is actually a bit misleading if one thinks of pink in gendered terms.  The wine is steely in character, with lots of coiled energy and great linear drive.  It is much more nuanced than overt, with interesting little details that emerge as the wine warms and settles in the glass.  I could only taste this over the course of about 5 minutes, and would much preferred to have afforded it a full hour.  In light of the difficulty of making a wine like this, and the inventory carrying costs involved, this is an incredible value.