Graham "Uber Cool" Beck in Franschhoek
April 9, 2007
On Saturday I took a long overdue trip to Graham Beck in Franschhoek.
The scenery on route to the esteemed farm is breathtaking - ancient ‘grayscale’ mountains standing proud over the lime green magnificence of the Franschhoek valley. The short trip from Cape Town is perfect for an ‘any day of the week’ afternoon drive!
The Graham Beck Estate boasts an uber cool new tasting and sales facility. Designed by artist extraordinaire John Swiegelaar of John Jacob Interiors - the new facility boasts custom made ‘one off’ pieces of furniture and art work. Everything from the table bases to the seating and the sculptures, is exclusively unique and supports the estates ‘nothing less’ philosophy. And it is impressive. See more here.
Aesthetics aside, the overall quality of the broad range of wine is outstanding. One or two disappointments but some real gems and one outstanding ‘every day’ drinker! Here are the standouts from the tasting:
Graham Beck Brut Methode Cap Classique
Made from 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir, this ‘bubbly’ was very enjoyable indeed. It was fresh and it was creamy - some nice honey and nougat in there somewhere!
Graham Beck Lonehill Chardonnay 2005
This was probably the most enjoyable wine of the tasting. Classic honey and buttered toast flavours and a finish that lasted forever - coating your throat with flavour all the way down!
Graham Beck Railroad Red 2005
A perennial favourite of my old man and his cronies - a new discovery for me. At R40 a bottle this wine came out tops amongst the reds on offer. The spiciness of the Shiraz is rich and rewarding, while the noble tannins of the Cabernet Sauvignon gives this gem a fruit driven kick in the pants.
Graham Beck is a fantastic winery to visit - the broad range of wines on offer will appeal to everyone and the sheer pleasure of walking into the custom made and modern wine tasting facility should be reason enough to take the day off and head for the hills of Franschhoek.
Cru Master
Posted in Estates, Red Wine, Sparkling Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews
April 12th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
I agree that Graham Beck is brilliant. Will you be visiting any other wineries in Franschhoek, Cru? It seems that Franschhoek has a little mystery to it… why not start a blogging on wineries by region?
April 12th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
I love Franchhoek, even if you’re not there for the wine - the scenery and break from the city is great!
Mmm…good idea, perhaps make next month ‘Stellenbosch month’ and the following ‘Robertson month’.
Nice to have you commenting on The Cru Queen P, thanks!