Nederburg is one of South Africa’s leading wineries, with a prize-winning pedigree that stems from a culture of innovation and disciplined attention to detail. The wines are richly fruited with elegant, fresh flavours and structure, and range from exclusive, micro-edition offerings for the connoisseur to wines styled for everyday enjoyment.
The farm's history dates back to 1791, when German immigrant Philippus Wolvaart acquired 49 hectares of land in the Paarl Valley. He named his property Nederburgh, in honour of the VOC commissioner, Sebastian Cornelis Nederburgh. Later, the "h" was dropped from the spelling of the farm’s name and it became Nederburg as it is known today.
At the heart of Nederburg’s winemaking journey lies the people who played a part in their rich and colourful history, shaping Nederburg’s success story through the centuries.
Heritage Heroes is an innovative collection of handcrafted wines from specific vineyards that honours some of these exceptional people. Every one of the wines in this range has been made with a focus on innovation, whether in terms of technique or choice of varietal, to offer wine lovers a greater and more nuanced spectrum of flavour.
The Motorcycle Marvel Rhône Blend from the Heritage Heroes collection honours the legendary winemaker Günter Brözel, who was cellarmaster at Nederburg from 1956 to 1989. He played a leading role in building Nederburg’s reputation as the most awarded winery in South Africa.
A maven and a maverick, he is known for his exceptionally high standards. Getting around on a 250cc BSA motorcycle, he checked on everyone and everything to ensure his exacting demands were met.
In 1985, he became the first in South Africa to earn the International Wine and Spirit Competition Winemaker of the Year Award. He was a great pioneer and created the first South African noble late harvest wine, Edelkeur, which was launched at the first Nederburg Auction in 1975 and to this day is sold exclusively through this channel. He is an icon in South African winemaking.
Günter celebrated his 90th birthday last week, on 3 April. Happy birthday to a legend!
Nederburg The Motorcycle Marvel Rhône Blend 2018 is a Rhône-style red blend of Carignan, Shiraz, Grenache, and Mourvèdre.
The Carignan grapes were sourced from old bush vines in Paarl, the Grenache from old bush vines in Wellington, and the Shiraz and Mourvèdre from trellised vines in the Groenekloof area. Each block was picked at optimum ripeness.
The deep garnet-coloured Motorcycle Marvel Rhône Blend 2018 is a typically perfumed Rhône blend that includes aromas like violets, wild berries, smoke and spice. It is youthful and quite rustic, with firm tannins and pronounced acidity, but also a feminine, light quality that resonates in lifted freshness.
It is outstanding with red meat roasts, casseroles and stews, grilled red meat dishes, spicy chicken, and intensely flavoured pasta and salads.
The Motorcycle Marvel is available for purchase via our online shop, tastewine.co.za.
This article originally appeared on Cape Tourism, as part of a collaboration with wine.co.za.
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