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Sunday, February 19, 2012

LATEST INGENIOUS OFFERINGS FROM NEDERBURG



LATEST INGENIOUS OFFERINGS FROM NEDERBURG

The new vintages of Ingenuity, Nederburg’s specialty, hand-made blends are now available. Offered in selected markets, including South Africa, this label is the platform for Nederburg at its most innovative. As the name suggests, it is an intended as an expression of skilled and inventive winemaking that explores new pleasures of taste.

Ingenuity White 2010 is a big and bold eight-way blend tamed by the artful use of wood. It differs from its predecessor in that it includes Verdelho (7%), to replace last year’s Chenin blanc. The lead varietal is Sauvignon blanc, accounting for 39% of the blend, coming from cool-climate vineyards in Darling and also from Stellenbosch. The other varietals featured are Chardonnay (20%) from Durbanville and Paarl; Semillon (16%) from Philadelphia; Viognier (8%) from Durbanville; Nouvelle (6%) from Paarl, and Rhine Riesling (2%) and Gewürztraminer (2%) also from Paarl.

“All eight components were individually vinified before blending,” says Nederburg cellarmaster Razvan Macici. “A small portion of the Sauvignon blanc was fermented in French barriques to augment the creaminess of the Chardonnay that was entirely fermented and aged in new, top-of-the-line French 228 litre barrels. The Nouvelle spent five months in second-fill French oak.”

Macici elaborates: “This is a complex blend designed to age for at least eight to ten years. Its fusion of mineral, fruit and oak characters makes it very versatile. It pairs exceptionally well with seafoods and red and white meats.”

The 2008 Ingenuity Red blend, also made to last a decade or more, combines Sangiovese, grown organically, with Barbera and Nebbiolo. “There are not many wines made locally that feature these Italian varietals. They bring appealing cherry and savoury characters that are very food-friendly,” he says.

The Sangiovese (50%) was sourced from Darling, with the Barbera (45%) coming from Durbanville and the Nebbiolo (5%), from the high slopes of Simondium. The three components were individually vinified and aged for 20 months in 500 litre French Radoux oak barrels to impart subtle wood notes, he explains. “The dominant Sangiovese adds a spectrum of sweet red fruit flavours, particularly cherry and plum. The Barbera provides the structure and the tannins and the Nebbiolo softens the palate. The result is a fusion of fragrant berries, spiced plums and a hint of liquorice with elegant, velvety tannins.”

Nederburg’s Ingenuity White has featured as a five-star wine three years in a row in Platter’s South African Wine Guide with the 2007 vintage of Ingenuity Red joining the ranks in the 2011 edition of the guide.

Ingenuity White 2010 retails for around R160, and Ingenuity Red 2008 for around R230. Both are produced in very small editions and are available from the cellar and speciality wine retailers.

Technical analyses:

Ingenuity White 2010

Alcohol 13.55% by volume
Residual sugar 2.81 grams/litre
pH 3.28
Acidity 6.65 grams/litre

Ingenuity Red 2008

Alcohol 14.80% by volume
Residual sugar 2.96 grams/litre
pH 3.55
Acidity 5.95 grams/litre

DATE JULY 21, 2011
ISSUED BY DKC (DE KOCK COMMUNICATIONS)
FOR NEDERBURG WINES
QUERIES GERHARD DU TOIT, NEDERBURG SA MARKETING MANAGER (021) 809 7000 or 079 456 2272
LYNETTE HARRIS, NEDERBURG GLOBAL MARKETING MANAGER (021) 809 7000 or 082 417 0584
RAZVAN MACICI, NEDERBURG CELLARMASTER (021) 877 5151 or 082 785 4577
TARIRO MASAYITI, NEDERBURG WHITE WINEMAKER (021) 877 5148 or 072 611 5042
TESSA DE KOCK/MARLISE POTGIETER, DKC, (021) 422 2690 or 082 579 2358