Tasted yesterday

Full tasting notes on Vivino.com

Dr. Deinhard Deidesheim Trocken Riesling 2013   90 Points MC

Henri Ottmann Gewurztraminer Alsace 2012 80 Points MC

Gabrielskloof The Blend 2013 90 Points MC

Klein Constantia Estate Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2006 92+ Points MC

Nederburg Auction 2016 wine collection embraces old with new

The Nederburg Auction:

·       Is recognised as one of the world’s five major wine auctions – alongside the auctions of Hospices de Beaune in France and Kloster Eberbach in Germany.

·       Has a special focus on promoting older South African wines, prompted by its commitment to the preservation and continuation of South Africa’s rich, rare wine heritage.

·       Strives to invest in excellence as South Africa’s leading platform for the sale of rare, premium wines, providing the opportunity for their fair and equitable distribution.

This year’s wine selection for the 42^nd Nederburg Auction is set to be one of the most complete style and vintage representations yet of South Africa’s wines, and a veritable snapshot of how South African winemaking styles have evolved over time, says Auction Manager Dalene Steyn.

“Judging from the clear vintage variations our judges are increasingly finding during their selection process, it has become apparent that producers have over time increasingly resisted interfering too much with the grapes.

“It is also clear that increasingly, producers are finding their niche – matching site, soil, vines and slope to produce wines they understand. Both of these factors feed into quality of wines through predictable, repeatable results. And this is what we’re seeing in the auction selection line-up – consistency in quality over several vintages, which goes a long way towards helping the producers build their own unique brand heritages,” she says.

“Our judges were impressed with this vintage continuity over several flights of reds, Noble Late Harvest and Ports, and how these wines evolved and changed over consecutive vintages. This constantly evolving heritage is a tribute to the efforts of our wine makers over the years to produce icon wines – ones that deserve the Nederburg Auction’s unique seal of approval.”

The international panel of judges selected 146 wines, only 39% of the total number of wines submitted. According to their tasting notes, this year’s line-up is defined by ‘perfect balance, intensity, complexity, true expression of soil and grape variety and immense depth’. View all their comments here.

Tasting convenor and sommelier Higgo Jacobs says the increasingly definitive South African wine heritage is a result of wine producers ‘innovating while taking pride in their history – properly embracing who they are as wine producers”.

Evidence of this innovation and new skill level is starting to shine through, says selection group leader Cathy van Zyl. “Investment in vineyards over the last few years is clearly showing in the quality of the wines.”

Fellow selection panel member Roland Peens believes there’s been a change in the style of winemaking in SA from 2009 onwards. “We’ve started to respect the fruit more, using less new oak, making lighter, less alcoholic styles of wine.”

Wine producers in step with this change in style tended to do well in the tough Nederburg Auction selection process, says Steyn. “It was clear from the panel discussion that the judges were very hard on over-ripe, over-oaked wines – but they equally rewarded icon wines that deserve the Auction’s unique seal of approval.”

Several categories of wine performed extremely well at the tasting, with Noble Late Harvest garnering the most praise from the panel ahead of Cap Classique, port, white blends, Chenin, Chardonnay, Cabernet and Semillon.

Steyn says looking at statistics and judges’ comments from previous years, it is clear that we just do not understand how good South African fortified and sweet wines are, particularly the Noble Late Harvest category.

Peens confirms this, saying Noble Late Harvest wines from the sixties, seventies and eighties are outstanding, simple and honest: “Wines 15 years and older hardly show any ageing and can age much longer. This is a category buyers can buy with confidence, especially if they want to further mature it for a special occasion.”

In terms of white wines, Peens also highlights the Chenin Blanc category, which he says showed an incredible depth in quality, and the Chardonnays that remain one of South Africa’s most exciting and top categories. “The white wines on auction all possess impressive complexity, balance and structure for ageing. Buyers can be confident in purchasing these and their ability to age 10 to 15 years.”

This year's 42nd annual Nederburg Auction will take place on Friday and Saturday, 16 and 17 September, at Nederburg winery in Paarl. A total of 146 wines from 79 producers will be auctioned over both days, including debut participants Bayede 7, Fable Vineyard, Glenelly, Jakobs Vineyards, Kershaw Elgin, Kleinood, Seven Springs and Windmeul.

The well-supported Nederburg charity auction will take place straight after the close of the main auction, and all proceeds raised will be donated to two local community organisations, Hope through Action and The Breytenbach Centre. 

The 2016 collection comprises of 73 red wines, 50 white wines, four Muscadels, 11 Noble Late Harvest wines, six Ports and two Méthode Cap Classique. Click here to view a complete list of the 2016 selection.

The annual Nederburg Auction offers an exclusive opportunity for local and international wine buyers to select, taste and bid on a stringently curated range of distinctive South African wines. Prospective buyers keen to register for this year’s event may do so via the website: www.nederburgauction.co.za

The 2016 Nederburg Auction selection is as follows:

Participant	Wines	Vintage
Allesverloren	Shiraz	2002
Almenkerk	Chardonnay	2012
	Sauvignon Blanc	2011
Alto	Cabernet Sauvignon	2003
Anura	Méthode Cap Classique Brut	2008
	Syrah Mourvèdre Reserve	2003
*Bayede!	7 Icon Chenin Blanc	2013
	7 Icon Shiraz	2011
Beaumont	Hope Marguerite	2008
Bloemendal	Kanonberg	2014
Boplaas	Cape Tawny Reserve	1995
Bosman Family Vineyards	Adama White	2010
Calitzdorp	Cellar Vintage Port	2009
Constantia Glen	TWO	2013
De Grendel	Op die Berg Chardonnay	2013
	Rubaiyat	2010
De Krans	Cape Vintage Reserve	2005
Delheim	Chardonnay Sur Lie	2011
	Edelspatz Noble Late Harvest	2012
	Grand Reserve	2007
DeMorgenzon	Reserve Chardonnay	2013
De Toren	Fusion V	2005
De Wetshof	Finesse Chardonnay	1993
	Naissance Cabernet Sauvignon	2011
Diemersdal	Private Collection	2011
Distell Tabernacle	Chateau Libertas	1968
	Chateau Libertas	1979
	Chateau Libertas	1986
	Lanzerac Muscat Alexandria	1984
	Meerlust	1986
	Oude Libertas Cinsaut Noir	1971
	Zonnebloem Cabernet Sauvignon	1966
	Zonnebloem Pinotage	1976
	Zonnebloem Pinotage	1986
	Zonnelboem Shiraz	1976
Domaine des Dieux	Chardonnay	2010
Eagle's Nest	Shiraz	2010
Eikendal	Charisma	2011
	Classique	2011
	Merlot	2011
*Fable Vineyard	Fable Syrah	2010
Fleur du Cap	Unfiltered Semillon	2010
	Unfiltered Special White Blend	2011
	Unfiltered Viognier	2012
*Glenelly	Lady May	2009
Graham Beck	Coffeestone Cabernet Sauvignon	2009
Grangehurst	Grangehurst	2006
Groot Constantia	Chardonnay	2013
Haskell	Anvil	2010
Iona	One Man Band	2010
*Jakob's Vineyards	Cabernet Sauvignon	2006
Joubert Tradauw	Jaubert Family Muscat	1800
	R62 Merlot / Cabernet Sauvignon	2003
JC Le Roux	Scintilla	2003
Jordan	Cobblers Hill	2009
Kanonkop	Pinotage	2003
	Pinotage	2006
Ken Forrester	The FMC	2010
*Kershaw Elgin	Clonal Selection Chardonnay	2012
Kleine Zalze	Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon	2005
*Kleinood	Tamboerskloof	2009
KWV	Mentors Pinotage	2009
La Couronne	Muscadel	NV
La Motte	Shiraz	2009
Landskroon	Paul de Villiers Cabernet Sauvignon	2011
Lanzerac	Cabernet Sauvignon	1968
	Pinotage	1969
L'Avenir	Grand Vin Pinotage	2006
LeBonheur	Cabernet Sauvignon	2001
Lomond	Cat's Tail Syrah	2011
	Sauvignon Blanc	2008
	Snowbush	2009
	Syrah	2006
Meerkat	Pinotage	2009
Monis	Muscadel	2001
	Port	1990
	Single & Double Seal Port	1948
Morgenster	Reserve	2000
Mount Sutherland	Syrah	2009
Mulderbosch	Barrel Fermented Chardonnay	2012
	Sauvignon Blanc Noble Late Harvest	2010
	Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc Block S2	2013
Nederburg	II Centuries Sauvignon Blanc	2014
	Pinotage	1999
	Private Bin D252 Sauvignon blanc	2011
	Private Bin D266 Semillon	2012
	Private Bin D270 Chardonnay	2009
	Private Bin Edelkeur	1979
	Private Bin Edelkeur	2006
	Private Bin Edelkeur	2009
	Private Bin Eminence	1991
	Private Bin Eminence	2001
	Private Bin Eminence	2005
	Private Bin R109 Cabernet Sauvignon	2007
	Private Bin R121 Shiraz	1985
	Private Bin R121 Shiraz	1999
	Private Bin R163 Cabernet Sauvignon	1985
	Private Bin R163 Cabernet Sauvignon	2009
	Private Bin R172 Pinotage	2011
	Private Bin S316 Weisser Riesling	2003
	Private Bin Sauvignon blanc	2007
	Reserve Chenin Blanc	2002
	Winemasters Reserve Shiraz	2006
Neethlingshof	Neethlingshof Six Flowers	2012
Nitida	Nitida Coronata Integration	2013
Paul Cluver	Seven Flags Pinot Noir	2007
Perdeberg	The Dryland Collection, Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc	2013
Plaisir de Merle	Cabernet Sauvignon	1995
	Chardonnay	2010
	Shiraz	1998
Raats	Family Chenin Blanc	2009
Remhoogte	Honeybunch Chenin Blanc	2011
	Honeybunch Chenin Blanc	2013
Rijk's	Private Cellar Chenin Blanc	2009
	Private Cellar Pinotage	2007
Romond	Rebus	2007
Rooiberg	Pinotage Reserve	2011
Rudera	De Tradisie Chenin Blanc	2009
	Platinum Cabernet Sauvignon	2007
	Robusto Chenin Blanc	2008
*Seven Springs	Chardonnay	2013
Shannon	Rockview Ridge Pinot Noir	2010
	Semillon	2012
Signal Hill	Eszenzia	2002
	Olympia Kalk Bay Cabernet Franc	2008
	Straw Wine	2001
Simonsig	Chenin Avec Chêne	2010
Spier	21 Gable Chenin Blanc	2010
	21 Gable Pinotage	2009
Stellenbosch Vineyards	The Flagship Petit Verdot	2010
Stellenrust	48 Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc	2012
	Barrel Fermented Chardonnay	2011
	Chenin Blanc	2012
	Peppergrinder's Shiraz	2010
Stellenzicht	Merlot	1994
	Stellenzicht	1994
Tokara	Directors Reserve Red	2005
Uitkyk	Cabernet Sauvignon	2001
	Chardonnay	2009
Vergelegen	GVB	2012
	Sauvignon Blanc	2012
	V	2004
Vergenoegd	Old Cape Colony	1993
Weltevrede	Oupa se Wingerd	1986
*Windmeul	Pinotage Reserve	2010
Zonnebloem	Pinotage	1998

* debut participants

  - End -

Distributed by:    Refresh Connect | On behalf of:       Dalene Steyn, Nederburg Auction

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