This week for our Wine of the Week, we honour a South African legend with a wine dedicated to him: Nederburg Heritage Heroes The Motorcycle Marvel Rhône Blend 2018.
Nederburg in Paarl is one of South Africa’s leading wineries, with a prize-winning pedigree that stems from a culture of innovation and disciplined attention to detail. The wines are richly fruited with elegant, fresh flavours and structure, and range from exclusive, micro-edition offerings for the connoisseur to wines styled for everyday enjoyment.
Heritage Heroes is an innovative collection of handcrafted wines from specific vineyards that honours some of the exceptional people who played an integral part in shaping Nederburg’s success story through the centuries.
Every one of the wines in this range has been made with a focus on innovation, whether in terms of technique or choice of varietal, to offer wine lovers a greater and more nuanced spectrum of flavour.
The Motorcycle Marvel Rhône Blend honours the legendary winemaker Günter Brözel, who was a cellarmaster at Nederburg from 1956 to 1989. He played a leading role in building Nederburg’s reputation as the most-awarded winery in South Africa.
A maven and a maverick, he is known for his exceptionally high standards. Getting around on a 250cc BSA motorcycle, he checked on everyone and everything to ensure his exacting demands were met.
In 1985, he became the first in South Africa to earn the International Wine & Spirit Competition Winemaker of the Year Award. He was a great pioneer and created the first South African noble late-harvest wine, Edelkeur, which was launched at the first Nederburg Auction in 1975 and to this day is sold exclusively through this channel. He is an icon in South African winemaking.
Nederburg The Motorcycle Marvel Rhône Blend 2018 is a Rhône-style red blend of Carignan, Shiraz, Grenache, and Mourvèdre. The Carignan grapes were sourced from old bush vines in Paarl, the Grenache from old bush vines in Wellington, and the Shiraz and Mourvèdre from trellised vines in the Groenekloof area. Each block was picked at optimum ripeness.
The deep garnet-coloured Motorcycle Marvel Rhône Blend 2018 is a typically perfumed Rhône blend that includes aromas like violets, wild berries, smoke and spice. It is youthful and quite rustic, with firm tannins and pronounced acidity, but also a feminine, light quality that resonates in lifted freshness. It is outstanding with red meat roasts, casseroles and stews, grilled red meat dishes, spicy chicken, and intensely flavoured pasta and salads.
Wine estate name: Nederburg Wine Estate
Location: Paarl, Western Cape
In Collaboration with: wine.co.za
