We attended the Nedbank CWG Auction Showcase at the CTICC in Cape Town and it was a roaring success.
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- Enthusiasts and professionals gather at the Nedbank CWG Auction Showcase in Cape Town, featuring South Africa’s premier winemakers and their finest wines.
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- Winemakers engage with attendees at the Nedbank CWG Auction Showcase in Cape Town, offering exclusive tastings and insights into their finest wines.
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- An array of exclusive wine bottles up for bid at the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction Showcase, with bid sheets and winemaker portraits displayed for attendees.
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- Bid table at the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction Showcase, showcasing wines for auction, with portraits of winemakers such as Andrea Mullineux and Andries Burger.
We tasted predominantly red so it would be unfair to comment on any white wines. We did however hear multiple comments about the outstanding standard of the white wines at the event.
While near all of the wines tasted were of exceptional quality, the following wines stood out for us*:
- CWG 2017 – Boekenhoutskloof Syrah Auction Reserve 2015 (Marc Kent, Boekenhoutskloof)
- CWG 2017 – Boschkloof Epilogue Syrah 2015 (Jacques Borman, Boschkloof)
- CWG 2017 – Rust en Vrede CWG Auction Estate 2014 (Coenie Snyman, Rust en Vrede Wine Estate)
- Edgebaston GS Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 (not an auction wine – David Finlayson, Edgebaston)
- CWG 2017 Paul Cluver Auction Selection Pinot Noir 2015 (Andries Burger, Paul Cluver Estate)
- CWG 2017 – Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Auction Reserve 2014 (Boela Gerber, Groot Constantia Estate)
- CWG 2017 – Kanonkop CWG Paul Sauer 2014 (Abrie Beeslaar, Kanonkop)
- Beyerskloof Faith 2013 (not an auction wine – Beyers Truter, Beyerskloof)
- CWG 2017 – Rijk’s CWG Pinotage 2015 (Pierre Wahl, Rijk’s)
- AA Badenhorst Red Blend 2015 (not an auction wine – Adi Badenhorst, AA Badenhorst Family Wines)
- CWG 2017 – DeMorgenzon Gravitas 2015 (Carl van der Merwe, DeMorgenzon)
- CWG 2017 – Leeu Passant Old Vines Cinsault 2015 (Andrea Mullineux, Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines) – they unfortunately ran out before we got to them, but comments around were that this was the best Cinsault on the show.
*Always keep in mind that tasting palates differ and that tasting such a large volume of wines tends to dull your nose and palate. We tried keeping things neutral with a cracker here and there.
Tips to best enjoy the Nedbank CWG Auction Showcase
- Eat before you go, but avoid food that’s too spicy – you’re tasting a large amount of wines and even if you spit most of it out, you’re bound to get a lot of it into your system. This brings us to our second point:
- Take a taxi or Uber – there’s absolutely no point in driving if you’re going to taste a large volume of wines.
- Drink enough water (to stay hydrated and neutralise the alcohol) and eat crackers to reset your palate.
- Take notes – write down your thoughts on look, smell & taste of the wines and maybe give it an off-the-cuff rating out of 5.
- Don’t spend too much time at each station – we mostly tasted reds and just made it around the whole show!
- Ask the winemaker which of their commercial offerings are closest to the auction wine – you can’t buy auction wines commercially, so it’s good to know which of their commercial wines will be close to what’s on offer at the auction showcase.
Feel free to share your favourite wines from the Nedbank CWG Auction Showcase in the comments below!
