The honey-sweet dessert wine with its vibrant acidity and notes of stone fruit is a blend of botrytised Chenin blanc and Muscat de Frontignan. It has an outstanding track record that speaks for itself. Earlier vintages achieved five-star ratings in Platter’s South African Wine Guide no less than eight times, as well as trophies and gold medals on platforms such as the International Sweet Wine Challenge, the International Wine & Spirit Competition, the Six Nations Wine Challenge and the Decanter World Wine Awards.
The Paarl winery, Platter’s reigning ‘Winery of the Year’ and the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s current ‘South African Wine Producer of the Year’, also came away with three double gold medals, awarded for Nederburg Ingenuity White 2016, an innovative eight-way blend led by Sauvignon blanc, as well as the 2015 vintages of Nederburg Heritage Heroes The Motorcycle Marvel Rhône- and The Brew Master Bordeaux-style red blends. All three are regularly celebrated at international and local competitions.
Nederburg Private Bin R163 Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 won a gold medal, as did Heritage Heroes The Anchorman 2016, recently announced the best South African Chenin blanc priced at over ₤15, at the 2017 Decanter World Wine Awards in London, and also selected as one of the winning wines in the 2017 Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge, convened by South Africa’s Chenin Blanc Association.
“Nederburg is on a roll. We have been raking in the awards for wines across our multi-tiered range, from our exclusive Private Bins to more accessible offerings such as our The Winemasters collection. This clearly demonstrates that careful attention to detail is applied in every step of the winemaking process in the making of every single wine carrying the trusted Nederburg name. Our commitment to ongoing innovation and best practice is certainly paying off, and recognition such as this serves as a great motivator for our cellar and viticulture teams to keep exploring and experimenting,” said Anna-Marie Marks, Nederburg’s Global Brand Development Manager.
“Also, to have three wines in our Heritage Heroes range highlighted, is a major feather in our cap. This collection of gourmet wines celebrates the illustrious personalities in Nederburg’s history who have been paramount in establishing Nederburg as one of South Africa’s most pedigreed names in wine.
“The Motorcycle Marvel, a robust red blend of Carignan, Shiraz, Grenache, Cinsaut and Mourvèdre, commemorates the legendary Günter Brӧzel, cellar-master at Nederburg for 33 years, from 1956 to 1989. He pioneered noble late harvest in South Africa in 1969, with his iconic Edelkeur Noble Late Harvest that gave rise to the prestigious annual Nederburg Auction in 1975. A perfectionist by nature, he loved riding around the farm on his BSA 250cc motorcycle, checking that everyone and everything were working according to plan.
“Johann Graue, a brew master and tea specialist, inspired The Brew Master, a classic red that combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. The co-owner of a leading brewery in Germany before he came to South Africa, Graue acquired Nederburg in 1937 and is believed to have created the foundation for excellence followed by his successors. He understood long before the rest, that you must begin with the best raw materials and that excellent wine originates in the vineyards.
“The Anchorman remembers Nederburg’s founder, Philippus Wolvaart, who established the farm in 1791 and planted Chenin blanc, amongst other varietals. His fingerprints still linger on every wine Nederburg makes,” Marks explained.
Meanwhile, it was announced that Nederburg’s II Centuries Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 has been shortlisted by the 2017 IWSC’s panel of judges for the coveted Trophy for Cabernet Sauvignon. Last year, the 2013 vintage of Nederburg’s Private Bin R163 Cabernet Sauvignon was honoured in the same way, also at the IWSC, and won the trophy for the best Cabernet Sauvignon in the world. Nederburg itself has also been shortlisted for the title of 2017 IWSC ‘South African Wine Producer of The Year’, an honour shared with five other South African wineries. All 2017 IWSC winning wineries and trophy winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in London on 15 November 2017.
Purchase Nederburg’s Ingenuity, Heritage Heroes and The Winemasters ranges online at www.vinoteque.co.za, or via fine wine outlets. Nederburg’s Private Bin label is sold exclusively at the annual Nederburg Auction.
Join Nederburg’s story on social media using: #OnceUponaNederburg #Awards #Michelangelo2017 #Wine