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Nederburg line-up shows SA quality leap
Bonham’s UK head of wine Anthony Barne MW has highlighted the step up in class demonstrated by South Africa’s top wines entered for the 2012 Nederburg Auction.
“What I’ve noticed in the three years I’ve been involved is that the wines have become a bit more sophisticated in the way they’re made,” he observed. “There was a period when the wineries were going for extraction and new oak to impress competitions but it’s rare to find that now.”
The 38th Nederburg Auction will see a total of 158 wines go under the hammer on 28 and 29 September, immediately after Cape Wine 2012.
Of the 280 wines submitted to a 20-strong tasting panel for this year’s selection, 135 wines made the final cut, with the remaining lots taken from a “tabernacle” collection of mature wines provided direct from the wineries.
As part of the quality assessment, the white wines were required to be a minimum of two years old, the reds a minimum of five years old, and all wines to show the potential to remain in good condition for at least a further two years.
“One of the things we’re trying to achieve through this auction is to change the idea that South African white wines can’t age,” remarked Carina Gous, business director for wine at Distell, which owns Nederburg.
In particular, Barne pointed to the positive shift in attitude towards the country’s Chenin Blanc, recalling: “In 2010 I had quite a lot of trouble selling some of the Chenin, but in 2011 we sold everything – it was really nice to see.”
Summing up what this year’s selection says about the quality of South African wine, Barne commented: “South Africa has always been considered to be a bridge between the Old World and the New World. The selection out this year will hold its own against the rest of the world.”
Reserve prices at this year’s auction range from SAR390 for a six bottle case of The Bernard Series Oaked Sauvignon Blanc from DGB Bellingham to SAR3,000 for a single bottle of 1929 Reserve “Port” from KWV.
Last year’s top selling lot was won by Nigerian businessman Obi Ndibe, who secured a single case of 6x750ml bottles of Monis Collectors “Port” 1948 for R68,000 (£5,530), the highest price ever paid for a South African wine at the auction.