Lock, stock and wine barrel: Nederburg sweet wines

We so often forget about sweet wines in South Africa, which is ironic because as a nation we gravitate toward sweeter tasting wines.

Demi-secs are often preferred over Brut in the world of MCC.

As the wine industry is always establishing itself as one of the world’s best – sweet wines are really climbing the ranks – and Nederburg seems to know how to ace the competition.

Nederburg achieved a trove of awards for its noble late harvest wines in local and international competitions in 2019.

It all started with Günter Brözel, cellar master at Nederburg for 33 years. He, being familiar with sweet wines from his days of living in Germany, took Paarl by storm.

Nederburg Private Bin Edelkeur Noble Late Harvest 1977. Picture Nederburg

As the story goes, the local authorities did not believe it possible to produce a natural wine with such a high sugar level, so to ensure that Nederburg did not add additional sugar to the wine, an inspector was sent to sleep in the cellar during the fermentation period.

Nimble negotiations with the authorities saw a compromise that would permit Edelkeur, a legendary Late Harvest, to go on sale but solely on auction to invited licensees and so the idea for the Nederburg Auction was born.

Fast forward to today and it’s worth taking notice of other Nederburg sweet wines. Here are the four best ones:

• The Winemasters Noble Late Harvest 2018
• Private Bin Eminence Muscadel Noble Late Harvest 2009
• Private Bin Eminence Muscadel Noble Late Harvest 2018
• Private Bin Edelkeur Chenin Blanc Noble Late Harvest 2009.

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