Four Graham Beck Wines Earn 95+ Points in Tim Atkin MW's 2025 South Africa Special Report + An Icon Making History
The highly anticipated Tim Atkin MW 2025 South Africa Special Report has arrived, and we're thrilled to share that four of our vintage Cap Classiques have achieved outstanding scores of 95 points and above. This recognition reaffirms our position among the finest Cap Classique producers and celebrates over four decades of dedication in our pursuit of the perfect bubble.


What is Tim Atkin's South Africa Wine Report 2025?
Now in its 13th edition, the Tim Atkin 2025 report has become the definitive guide to South African wine. This comprehensive annual review sees the Master of Wine taste thousands of vintages, delivering insights that spotlight exceptional craftsmanship across the country.

Among this year's South Africa Special Report highlights, Atkin observed: "South Africa's excellence in wine-growing, winemaking and tourism continues to soar. This is despite the many structural, economic, geo-political and climatic setbacks the industry faces."Which Graham Beck Wines Earned 95+ in Tim Atkin's 2025 South Africa Special Report?

Our successes in Tim Atkin's 2025 report showcase both innovation and heritage. Leading the top-scoring wines is our icon, Cuvée Clive 2019 – which has made history by clinching the 'Sparkling Wine of the Year' title for the 7th time with a rating of 97 points. We also celebrate the newly-released Cuvée Clive X 2015 and Chardonnay 14:277 2020, joined by an additional distinguished Cap Classiques:

Graham Beck Cuvée Clive 2019 – 97 points, Sparkling Wine of the Year, Graham Beck Cuvée Clive X 2015 – 96 points, Graham Beck Chardonnay 14:277 2020 – 96 points, Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs 2019 Magnum – 96 points. Each wine reflects meticulous vineyard selection, patient cellar work and our commitment to Cap Classique excellence.


What's The Difference Between Cuvée Clive and Cuvée Clive X?
While our flagship Cuvée Clive has earned numerous accolades, Cuvée Clive X 2015 represents an entirely different philosophy - a decade-long commitment to patience. This Icon Collection masterpiece spends ten years on lees, developing remarkable complexity that sets it apart from its celebrated sibling.

Sourced exclusively from our finest Chardonnay parcels, the 2015 vintage reveals deep golden hues with layers of baked apple, roasted almonds and subtle spice. The creamy texture and crystalline finish demonstrate what's possible when time becomes a key ingredient.


How Does Cuvée Clive X 2015 Compare with Previous Top-Scoring Vintages?
Our Cuvée Clive lineage has consistently earned recognition, including being named Sparkling Wine of the Year in previous reports. The Cuvée Clive X's inclusion in this year's honours list elevates this legacy further, proving that extended ageing unlocks even greater potential in our finest fruit.


Why is Chardonnay 14:277 2020 So Special?
Chardonnay 14:277 2020 showcases single-vineyard terroir at its finest within our Artisan Collection. This remarkable Blanc de Blancs hails from limestone-rich Block 14, Clone 277, on our Robertson estate - a site carefully selected for its unique geological character and outstanding potential.

Disgorged after five years on the lees, this wine displays striking purity, lifted citrus, green apple and white blossom, with a mineral-driven, persistent finish that speaks directly to its terroir. Limited in production and crafted for collectors and Chardonnay connoisseurs alike, it combines finesse, tension and remarkable ageing potential.


What Defines Cap Classique (and How is it Made)?
Cap Classique represents South Africa's answer to Champagne - sparkling wine crafted using the time-honoured traditional method. This process involves secondary fermentation in the bottle, extended lees ageing and hand riddling, resulting in wines of complexity and finesse. It is a labour-intensive pursuit where patience and precision are non-negotiable and mastery is measured in decades rather than days.

What sets Cap Classique apart is not only its adherence to the traditional method, but also the expression of South Africa’s diverse terroir - particularly the limestone-rich soils of Robertson, which bring purity, structure and a distinctive mineral edge. Our commitment to this method enables us to create sparkling wines that stand confidently alongside the world's finest.


Celebrating Excellence and South Africa on the Global Stage
Tim Atkin’s rigorous assessment - blind tasting, multiple evaluation and careful consideration of typicity, complexity and ageing potential - places wines scoring 95 points and above in a rarefied category. For collectors, these accolades signal not only outstanding quality but also exceptional cellaring potential, wines that will continue to evolve and reward patience over the coming decades.“Every bottle reflects the care we take from vineyard to cellar,” notes Cellar Master Pierre de Klerk. “These scores honour our team’s dedication and showcase the potential of our Robertson terroir.”After more than forty years of perfecting our craft, Graham Beck is proud to contribute to South Africa’s sparkling wine renaissance, elevating Cap Classique confidently on the global stage.