 | In its latest release - Brut Zero, Graham Beck Wines dispenses with the practice of dosage, where champenoise or Méthode Cap Classique is topped up with a sugar-infused blend.
The result is that Graham Beck’s Brut Zero is a perfect accompaniment to salty, flavoursome foods: sushi and crustacean dishes in particular. It joins the ranks of the very few zero dosage wines – these having been virtually non-existent a decade or so ago; a category growing in popularity among chefs, sommeliers and food enthusiasts.
The purpose of dosage in a Méthode Cap Classique is to replace the small amount of wine lost during disgorgement. It’s the sugar content in dosage that determines the category of the wine; zero dosage wines being as dry as possible. Without the addition of sugar, which can be used to balance a blend, the wine is laid bare. The effervescence magnifies the pure and natural flavour – and along with it, any possible faults. For Pieter, the grapes provided by vintage 2005 showed great promise for a no-dosage style; an instinct confirmed when he tasted the wine after secondary fermentation.
A self-confessed “fanatic” of zero dosage champenoise, Pieter Ferreira, Cellar Master at Graham Beck Wines Robertson said “Making this style of sparkling wine is a challenge and a risk: there is no margin for error in a zero dosage wine. That’s why there are so few of them. It’s an avant-garde style.”
The wine was left to lie on the lees, or expended yeast, for six years before it was disgorged, at which point it was topped up only with the cuvee. The resulting wine is a purist’s delight: bone dry, ultra crisp and rich in natural flavour, “more its mineral characters than fruitiness” Pieter says – a feature highly prized by wine enthusiasts.
As a bonus, brut zero, or zero dosage wine is lower in calories than its sugar-imbued counterparts; presenting a great alternative for slimmers and those who enjoy lighter style wines.
“It’s hard to believe that a no-dosage wine could present so beautifully,” Pieter says. “I hope to see it encourage interest in this more natural style.”
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