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Jean-Philippe Colmant, owner of Colmant Winery for the past 20 years, has played a fundamental role in the evolution of South African Cap Classique, with Pieter "Bubbles" Ferreira of Graham Beck, as one of the board members of the Cap Classique Association. Together, they have redefined the category as Cap Classique (not Méthodé Cap Classique) in South Africa and worked to improve the quality by encouraging longer maturation periods, whole-bunch press, and exploring different categories of Cap Classique.
As owner of Colmant Winery for the last 20 years their wines have earned international recognition, with critics like Greg Sherwood MW, Tim Atkin MW, and Jancis Robinson MW commenting on the quality and tension of the wine (remember in Cap Classique, it's all about the tension), sourced as it is from exceptional pockets all around the Western Cape, and benefitting from smart winemaking in the cellar.
With winemaker Paul Gerber and his particular scientific focus on Cap Classique production, they formed a formidable Cap Classique team. Tim Atkin MW once wrote, "Paul Gerber is a sparkling wine magician" when he was still the winemaker at Le Lude, and his skill as a Cap Classique producer has only grown in estimation over the years, benefitting from his partnership with JP at the helm of Colmant Winery as winemaker and cellarmaster. Together they have made an indelible mark on the landscape of Cap Classique in South Africa, making this recent sale that much more notable for its potential to grow.
