At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Producer
- Cave de Pongracz
- Style
- South African Méthode Cap Classique sparkling wine
- Named wines
- Pongrácz Rosé and Desiderius Brut 2018
- Desiderius grapes
- Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
- Range role
- Desiderius Brut 2018 is the prestige cuvée
- Defining method
- Second fermentation in bottle followed by lees ageing
The Producer
Bottle fermentation unites the named wines from Cave de Pongracz, Pongrácz Rosé and Desiderius Brut 2018. Méthode Cap Classique is the South African name for sparkling wine that undergoes its second fermentation in bottle. The second fermentation creates the bubbles and leaves yeast lees for ageing. Desiderius is the prestige cuvée, while Pongrácz Rosé is the rosé bottling.
Place
Stellenbosch, Robertson and Elgin are the vineyard areas named for Desiderius Brut 2018. The wine brings fruit from these separate areas into one bottle. In sparkling wine, blending fruit from different areas can combine ripeness and acidity profiles before the second fermentation.
Vineyards And Cellar
Desiderius Brut 2018 is made from 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir. The second fermentation takes place in bottle, followed by 69 months on its lees before disgorgement. Total acidity is 6.2 g/l and residual sugar is 6.4 g/l. Lees are spent yeast cells left after fermentation. Extended lees contact can make sparkling wine feel rounder, while acidity and residual sugar set the balance between freshness and sweetness.
Wines
The named bottles divide the range by colour and role. Pongrácz Rosé is a full bodied sparkling rosé. Desiderius Brut 2018 is the prestige cuvée. Both use Méthode Cap Classique, with bottle fermentation and lees ageing in the cellar.
In The Glass
Desiderius Brut 2018 brings honey, tropical fruit, almond and creamy nougat, with fresh acidity running through the palate. Pongrácz Rosé opens with delicate strawberry and baked bread, then shows clean acidity and juicy blackberry fruit. Its mousse is creamy, with yeast tones and a long finish.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Pongrácz Rosé first. It is the rosé bottling, with alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel before its second fermentation in bottle. It spends approximately two years on its lees, then rests in a cool cellar for a further two to four months after disgorgement. Stainless steel is a neutral fermentation vessel, and malolactic fermentation converts sharper malic acid into softer lactic acid.
Anecdote
In September 2016, Desiderius 2009 was disgorged after 89 months on its lees. The prestige cuvée was 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, with 5.1 g/l dosage. Disgorgement removes the yeast sediment left after bottle fermentation, so the date marked the end of the wine's lees ageing. The wine was fresh and lively, with toast, lemon and pear fruit.
Final Word
Cave de Pongracz pairs Desiderius Brut 2018, its prestige cuvée, with Pongrácz Rosé. Both are Méthode Cap Classique wines, with the second fermentation in bottle followed by lees ageing.