Krone has once again taken top honours in the Nectar category at the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge, with Krone Night Nectar Blanc de Blancs 2021 winning the Nectar Trophy for the second consecutive year.

Now in its 25th year, the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge is one of South Africa’s leading showcases for bottle-fermented sparkling wine. The 2026 competition attracted 138 entries across six categories: Brut Blends, Blanc de Blancs, Nectar, Rosé, Blanc de Noir and Extended Ageing.

Krone cellar master Stephan de Beer was there to accept the trophy at the awards ceremony, held at La Petite Colombe on Leeu Estates in Franschhoek.

“Winning the Nectar Trophy last year was a great moment for the team, so to come back and win it again with the same wine is especially rewarding,” says De Beer. “Night Nectar is a style where balance is everything. There needs to be richness, but also freshness and precision, so the wine never feels heavy. To have that recognised for a second year gives us enormous confidence in what we’re doing.”

The back-to-back win builds on Krone’s long commitment to Vintage-only Cap Classique. Every Krone is made from a single harvest, bottle-fermented in the traditional method and lees-aged in the underground cellar at Twee Jonge Gezellen in Tulbagh.

Krone Night Nectar Blanc de Blancs 2021 is made from 100% chardonnay, naturally fermented in foudres before secondary fermentation in bottle and up to 36 months’ maturation on the lees in Krone’s underground cellar. Final dosage brings richness to the Nectar style, balanced by the high natural acidity.

The success also speaks to the precision required in making a sweeter style of Cap Classique. As assistant winemaker Lizette Stander explained following last year’s win, two of the most important decisions are the blending of the base wines and the final dosage: the aim is balance, alongside the fine, soft mousse that defines the wine.

At this year’s awards lunch, that balance was put to particularly good use. La Petite Colombe paired the Night Nectar with its dessert of guava, goat’s cheese and ginger, the wine’s fruit and dosage meeting the tropicality of the guava, while its acidity and fine bubbles cut through the creamy goat’s cheese and the ginger brought a spicy counterpoint.

“It was a lovely way to experience the wine,” says de Beer. “A Nectar Cap Classique really comes into its own at the table. With the guava, goat’s cheese and ginger, you could see how the sweetness, acidity and texture of the wine each had a role to play. And, of course, tasting it alongside a second Nectar Trophy made it even better.”

Krone was the sole trophy winner in the Nectar category at the 2026 competition, with Night Nectar Blanc de Blancs 2021 awarded Gold as well as the Nectar Trophy.

For De Beer, the award ultimately belongs to the wider team behind the wine.

“Cap Classique is never the work of one person. It starts in the vineyards and continues through years in the cellar before we finally get to open the bottle. Winning this trophy two years running is something the whole Krone team can celebrate.”