South Africa is a remote place to the eyes of us here in Singapore. It might even be an exotic locale for a particularly ambitious holiday.
How often do Singaporeans think about South African wines, then? Given our lack of knowledge and the local penchant for Australian, French and Chilean bottles, we’re willing to wager that the answer is: not very often.
Since Singaporeans also prefer red to white (roughly twice as much), one might also see how South Africa, known for its gorgeous golden wines, would fly under the radar. So, we when we got to try some Nederburg wines from South Africa, we were intrigued.
Good Hope
To properly review the wines, we spent a fair bit of effort reading up on South African wines; one appreciates drinks better when one understands the context surrounding it, and our particular domain is in spirits, Old World and Australian wines (hardly surprising, given that we are Singaporean). What we learnt was surprising.
For instance, we found out that South Africa is the eight largest wine producer of wines in the world. It is also only one of eight countries on the continent to make the fruit of the wine.
Ironically, for a comparatively small export volume, the tricentennial South African wine industry predates that of Australia, which has only been around for 200 years. Nederberg itself was founded by Dutchman Philippus Wolvaart in 1791, which makes it older than any New World wine!
If the Nederburg name rings a bell, it might very well be because of the Nederburg Auction. Together with the Hospices de Beaune and Kloster Eberbach, it is one of the leading auctions in the world. Since 1975, it has been a seminal showcase for Cape wines, and has grown to a point where is is actually two auctions: one for the public, and one for trade professionals.
Nederburg itself is one of the most widely acclaimed producers on the continent, and has been winning international awards since the 1980s. This might seem trifling until one learns that one of them was the South African Wine Producer of the Year at the 2016 International Wine & Spirit Competition- the Wimbledon of the wine world. These are no unlabelled table wines!
Nederburg The Winemasters Chardonnay 2015
The Winemaster’s is Nederburg’s equivalent of a premium reserve range. The first up to test our tastebuds was the 2015 Chardonnay. 2015 was a good year for South Africa, and temperatures were dry and warm. This should, in theory, translate to adequate sugar levels in the grapes and thus, flavourful wines of good quality.
Bouquet: Green apple, pineapple, lemon, lime rind, and a little apricot for good measure.
Palate: Medium sweet. apricot, Pineapple and a dollop of vanilla and cream.
Finish: Long and satisfying, with acid and cream sitting lightly on the tongue. Quite pleasant.
Quite palatable, possessing a strong acidity paired with cream notes and vanilla. The combination is pleasant and not overbearing. It’s pretty good on its own, but it pairs well with Japanese or Chinese seafood- if you can stomach the fish-white wine cliche. If that’s not to your taste, how about some roast chicken or even Eggs Benedict?
While it’s not the best Chardonnay that we’ve ever tasted, it doesn’t have to be at this price. At $50 for two bottles, it’s not going to burn a whole in your pocket. Considering the quality to price ratio, we’d recommend it.
Nederburg The Winemasters Pinotage 2014
If you’re wondering what Pinotage is, it’s a cross of cinsaut and pinot noir grapes, and is a particular speciality of South Africa.
Bouquet: Distinct aromas of dark berries and plums. A dusting of oak and chocolate.
Palate: Jam. A medium-sweet flavour of plum and blackcurrants. It’s got some earthiness of blackberries and some chocolate as well. Some tannins and spice, but they’re deep, deep down. A little light in texture- not a heavy wine at all.
Finish: All oak and bitterness, which gives it a nice balance.
Overall, a wine with a decent balance and a pleasant taste. It’s not particularly complex or demanding, which makes it suitable for pairing at casual dinners and lazy afternoon drinking. We don’t think that it would make a great match for heavy stews and meats, though, thanks to its lightness. It will go quite well with roast chicken, duck, thin-sliced beef and lamb.
We think this would be even better after a few years’ ageing. Like its sibling, it might not be the best red that we’ve ever tasted, but it represents good value for easy drinking.
A good cause- and what’s in it for you?
Overall, the wines are fair, and are a good choice for those looking for something that isn’t French or Australian. They represent good value for money, and if you’re looking for something meant for easy drinking, then we’d suggest checking them out. The bottles usually retail at $70.70, but are going for $49.90 for 2 bottles right now.
As for what else is in it for you- let’s summon some context. Nederburg is a proud sponsor of Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka. Qhubeka is a charity that improves education, economics and health care in Africa by providing the most simple transport of all- bicycles. Nederburg, being an official sponsor, has pledged to donate 1200 bicycles to the cause.
As part of this effort, if you buy 2 bottles of Nederburg Winemasters at participating outlets – NTUC Xtra, NTUC Finest, Cold Storage Singapore, Market Place by Jasons and Cellarbration, you stand to win a designer Bicycle worth S$1000. More details are available here.
1 comment
How much are the 2 bottles , Pinotage and Chardonney .
(Your text: The bottles usually retail at $70.70, but are going for $49.90 for 2 bottles right now.)
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