Fairview Charles Back MCC Brut 2022
Fairview Charles Back MCC Brut
Region: Coastal Region, South Africa
Vintage: 2022
Bottle size: 75cl
Grape: Viognier, Grenache, Grenache Blanc
ABV: 11.5%
Pale yellow in colour. On the nose, bright aromas of green apple, flint, fresh flowers, and brioche lead to a creamy palate of tart apples, lime zest, and quince. The finish is fresh.
The grapes for this sparkling wine are sourced from three sites on the Fairview farm. The trellised vineyards are situated on the slopes of the Paarl Mountain, approximately 300 metres above sea level, resulting in fresh acidity, suited for sparkling wine production.
The grapes were hand picked in cool morning temperatures and transported in crates to protect their condition before being transferred to the press by hand. Left in whole bunches for pressing, only the free run juice was used and transferred to stainless steel tanks for fermentation. The blended wine was left on its lees in tanks for seven months before secondary fermentation in bottle under a crown cap. The wine was left to mature on its lees for 26 months before disgorgement, adding subtle autolytic flavours.
The Fairview estate is one of the oldest properties in South Africa, with vines planted as early as 1699. It is situated approximately 50 kilometres from Cape Town, on the lower slopes of Paarl Mountain. The property was bought by Charles Back’s grandfather in 1937 and was subsequently run by his father, Cyril, before Charles took charge. Under his guidance, Fairview have been driven by an ethical philosophy based on social commitment, sustainability, and conservation. The estate has a committee comprised of elected farm workers which ensures equal opportunities and invests in education and training for the workers. In addition, it funds a company which allows the farm workers to make their own wine, lending them the use of Fairview’s winemaking facilities. While all its production is now certified as Fairtrade, Charles doesn’t use the certification as he wants to sell his wines on their quality. The excitement engendered by Fairview was recognised in 2014 when Charles was given the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by the International Wine Challenge.