Villiera was the first South African producer to start making sparkling wine with the help of a champagne producer – Jean-Louis Denois.

Read this article on JancisRobinson.com here – https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/south-african-miscellany

Founding MCC member Jeff Grier has handed the MCC production over to his nephew, Xander Grier, who has apparently introduced all sorts of new things such as clay ‘amphorae’ and a reserve- wine solera, inspired by a visit to grower champagne producers in 2019.

Mostly Stellenbosch grapes, whole-bunch pressed, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They do full malo. Usually 18 months on lees for the NV, but lockdown has given them a bit longer this year. ‘Lockdown doesn’t affect quality’, Grier said cheerfully, ‘just the bank balance’. Dosage is made with wine from their solera blend. Dosage 6.5 g/l, pH 3.19.

Really, really creamy; shortbread, full-bodied spread. This is lovely. Deep, peachy fruit, complex, rich. Tastes like salt-buttered toasted croissant spread with lemon marmalade and apricot jam. This has deep substance and undertow. It was extremely good with comté, and I can imagine it being delicious with something like scallops mornay or belly pork. (TC)