Villiera Cap Classique Brut

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19 August 2026

Villiera Cap Classique Brut comes from South Africa, from a producer that has become one of the country’s most respected names in sparkling wine. Villiera played an important part in establishing Cap Classique as one of South Africa’s flagship wine styles and became particularly associated with traditional-method sparkling wine, helped in its early years by Champagne producer Jean-Louis Denois. The word “Tradition” is particularly fitting here, as this was Villiera’s first Cap Classique, first produced in 1984.

Villiera Wines is also home to the Pebbles Project, which enriches the lives of thousands of children in the Winelands of the Western Cape by focusing on five key areas: Education, Health, Nutrition, Community and Protection.

This is a multi-vintage blend, an approach used to maintain consistency from year to year. It is made from 30% Pinot Noir and 70% Chardonnay, while the cream and red labels indicate the use of white and red grapes in the blend. It is a traditional-method sparkling wine, meaning that the second fermentation takes place in the bottle, and it is matured in contact with the lees for an average of 18 months. Alcohol is 12% ABV.

There is plenty of recognition behind it too. Villiera Cap Classique Brut won a silver medal and 93 points at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards, as well as gold medals from both Gilbert & Gaillard and the Intercontinental Wine Challenge. Tim Atkin MW also rated a reviewed NV bottling 91 points.

One slightly unusual detail is the cork, which is noticeably short beneath the familiar mushroom-shaped top. In the glass it is lemon coloured, with a fine mousse. There are not huge numbers of individual bubbles, but there is plenty of initial froth. On the tongue it feels very fizzy and lively. The aromas bring citrus and green apple, joined by a biscuity character from its time on the lees. The flavour is led by zesty apple fruit, with yeasty complexity adding depth. It is brut in sweetness, with high acidity, and finishes dry, refreshing and distinctly moreish. It also seemed to get better and better with time in the glass, becoming more enjoyable as it opened up.

It is available from Ocado for £16. The Wine Society previously stocked it, although it currently marks the wine as no longer available.

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