Bubbles to welcome your guests, Chardonnay for the table, and a Pinotage worthy of the final conversation. Three wines that tell one of South Africa's greatest wine stories.
Some evenings are pleasant. Others become the ones people talk about long after the last glass has been emptied.
The difference is rarely the menu or the venue. It is the sense that someone has thought about the whole evening, from the first pour to the last. Wine, chosen well, gives an occasion its shape.
To begin our Trio series, I have chosen three wines that together tell one of South Africa's greatest wine stories: bubbles to welcome your guests, Chardonnay for the table, and a Pinotage worthy of the final conversation of the evening.
The Opening Toast: Graham Beck Cuvée Clive 2019
The first glass sets the tone.
Cuvée Clive is the flagship Cap Classique from Graham Beck, the house whose wines toasted Nelson Mandela's inauguration. Years resting on the lees have given it real depth. In the glass you find fine, persistent bubbles and fresh citrus, then toasted brioche, all held with remarkable poise.
Tim Atkin MW awarded the 2019 97 points in his South Africa 2026 Special Report. It arrives in its own gift box, which makes it a beautifully simple gift.
The Conversation: Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2024
Hamilton Russell farms the Hemel-en-Aarde, the "Heaven and Earth" valley, where cool ocean air shapes one of the most Burgundian Chardonnays made outside Burgundy.
Expect citrus peel and white flowers, carried by a fine mineral freshness. It is a wine that works quietly at the table. It does not demand attention, yet by the end of the meal it is usually the bottle everyone has been reaching for.
The Finale: Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage 2023
Pinotage is South Africa's own grape, and Black Label is Kanonkop's expression of it at its most sought-after.
It is made from bush vines planted in 1953, and those old vines show. Dark cherries and spice, with extraordinary concentration. This is the bottle collectors chase and wine lovers remember, and the one to open when the conversation turns long and unhurried.
For the occasion
Whether you are planning a festive lunch, welcoming friends, or simply opening something special after a year of hard work, this trio was chosen for moments worth celebrating.
To complete the gift, add a Gabriel-Glas 2- or 6-piece set: the world's finest universal wine glasses, boxed and ready to give.
Explore the collection
This trio is only a glimpse of the cellar. Our full collection runs from Cape icons and Grand Cru Bordeaux to Champagne and Gabriel-Glas, all held in Lagos with trusted provenance.