South African wines showed they can age as gracefully as their more famous counterparts at the country’s leading auction of fine and rare bottlings, when a new record price of R11,333 per bottle was achieved.
I was invited invited to taste through some of the wines under the hammer at the 37th Nederburg wine auction in Paarl over the weekend, including the 1948 Monis Collectors Port bought for R68,000 (case of six bottles) by Nigerian businessman Obi Josephat Ndibe – a new record for the event.
There had been concern that the economic downturn would result in a quiet auction this year. But with buyers from as far afield as India, the UK and growing demand from African countries such as Namibia, Angola and Nigeria, the event raised R6,1 million – up 8% from the R5.7 million fetched last year with about 19% less cases on offer. The average price for a 12-bottle case increased by 30% to R1,985.
The euphoric spending was matched by the glamour and extravagant fashions of the event, held in the buildings and perfectly manicured lawns of the Nederburg wine estate.
Having tasted some of the older vintages from legendary regions such as Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne, I was impressed by how well some of the mature wines on sale had aged – a great sign for the future of fine South African wine.
The prices paid for these old, rare bottles demonstrated a growing appreciation of top-end South African wine. The biggest price increases were in the red wines, for example with a 1961 Chateau Libertas fetching R6,666 per bottle, and the top price for a dry white going to De Wetshof Finesse Chardonnay 2003 at R633 a bottle.
Other highlights of the auction were a 1974 Rustenberg Cabernet Sauvignon. The charity sale of the day, in aid of Goedgedacht Trust, the Pebbles Project Trust and the Anna Foundation, raised R183,100 with star wines including a 10-year vertical of the 2000-2009 vintages of Eben Sadie’s renowned Columella. The highest price in the charity auction was for a single bottle of échezeaux-1966 from Burgundy and bought by Obi Ndibe for R31,000.
Here were some of my personal favourites among the auction wines:
KWV 1930 Muscadel
This fortified wine smells salty, like the sea, with aromas of walnuts, leather and prunes. It’s still amazingly fresh after all these years.
Nederburg 2001 Noble Late Harvest Riesling
This dessert wine has lovely mouth-watering flavours of grapefruit, orange rind and basil. It’s still zesty, not at all cloying.
Nederburg Eminence 1991
Made of muscat grapes, this pudding wine is full of clean, fruity flavours. There is a note of toffee on the nose and in the mouth, clementines and freshly-made marmalade.
Zonnebloem Pinotage 1998
A perfumed nose, with notes of truffle, strawberries and new leather. Light, zesty, feminine, delicious!
BY CLAIRE HU
