Nederburg Auction

Monday, July 20th, 2009

Two interesting tastings this week: the first at Glenelly in Stellenbosch and the second the Nederburg pre-Auction event at the Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town.

Glenelly, a former fruit farm adjacent to Rustenberg, has undergone a total transformation since Madame May-Eliane de Lencquesaing bought it in 2003. The local wine fraternity has eagerly awaited the day that it opened its doors to the public – and one day after Bastille Day it arrived. Madame de Lencquesaing, former chatelaine of Bordeaux ‘Super Second’ Ch. Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and Decanter Woman of the Year in 1994 (among many other honours), was present to welcome the first guests through the tasting room door.

The sprightly octogenarian was pressing glasses of the 2006 Glenelly Hill blend on her guests and eagerly listening to their comments about its versus the 2003 and 2004. Just as the plantings have matured, so has the blend. The 2004 with its higher proportion of Shiraz (along with Cab and Merlot) is a forceful wine – very in your face while the 2006 is far more genteel, restrained and elegant yet with delicious succulent black fruit.
Madame is unequivocal in her belief in South Africa’s terroir and potential for making great, balanced elegant wines. Already winemaker Luke O’Cuinneagain reports substantial interest by delegations of French visitors…

If the lineup of 50 Nederburg Auction wines presented to media is anything to go by, the 35th anniversary of the event should be a goodie. The wines which impressed most were older – which was, of course, why Nederburg launched the event in 1974, to sell aged South African wines.
Among the whites a 2001 Cape Point Vineyards Semillon and a 2002 Rijk’s Private Cellar Chenin Blanc showed beautifully, the richly smoky apricot-fruited Chenin in particular. Both are small lots – just 20 and 10 cases respectively.

And on the reds a 1994 Kanonkop Paul Sauer, 1998 Stellenzicht Pinotage and 2000 Saxenburg SSS Shiraz – the latter being particularly striking. Still juicy with blackberry, pepper, structure, grip, texture, balance, length… everything in the right place.
It remains to be seen how buyers feel about the selection although there are stories circulating about hotels and lodges being bullish about purchases in advance of the anticipated 2010 influx.