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Rare Hartenberg two-some at 2011 Cape Winemakers Guild Auction
Two exceptional wines destined to become collector’s items crafted by acclaimed Hartenberg Winemaker Carl Schultz,a single vineyard Merlot and a unique Shiraz, will be amongst the 56 wines to go under the hammer at the 27th Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction at Spier outside Stellenbosch on Saturday, 1 October.
As a former Diner’s Club Merlot Winemaker of the Year, Carl certainly has the edge when it comes to crafting a wine from this temperamental varietal. His Guild Auction Merlot, the Hartenberg Loam Hill Merlot 2009, is a single vineyard wine that Carl describes as representing “the best of what we do.” It is one of just two Merlots in the Guild Auction line-up this year.
“This wine represents the best of the vintage from the estate modelled on the wines of right-bank Bordeaux,” is his take on the wine, which spent 20 months in 100% new French oak barrels. The wine has intense aromas of mocha, plums and spices, with a rich palate of opulent fruit with supple, sweet flavours. Fine, dry tannins allow further ageing.
The second Hartenberg Guild Auction wine is a Shiraz composed of two unique and contrasting places of origin. Hartenberg Auction Shiraz 2009, the 10th Hartenberg Shiraz vintage to go on auction this year, is a blend of the best single barrel of the deep, clay-rich Stork vineyard and two barrels of the stony Gravel Hill vineyard. The former lends richness and power, whilst the latter provides elegance, finesse and longevity.
“The wine is about a sense of place, reflecting the unique and different sites that combine to make up the wine,” says Carl, who has been the winemaker at Hartenberg for the past 18 years.
His Auction Shiraz spent 22 months in new French oak barriques. The wine impresses with white pepper and truffle notes on the bouquet opening up to violets and black fruit, whilst the palate shows beautiful elegance and poise with silky, polished tannins and a dry, savoury finish.
As one of South Africa’s oldest Shiraz producing estates, Hartenberg Shiraz enjoys an unmatched reputation for high-end quality and above all, consistency with a track record spanning nearly 40 years. The ability to age gracefully is a common thread that runs through all 37 Shiraz vintages produced to date at Hartenberg with many of the older wines still drinking well after 20 and 30 years.
There is great excitement regarding this year’s auction line-up as a result of the less constricting selection criteria adopted by the Guild aimed at boosting creativity.
Recognised as South Africa’s leading wine auction open to the wine trade and the general public with an annual turnover of around R4 million, the prestigious Guild Auction features an impressive lineup of 56 wines this year, 17 more than the previous Auction. All the wines are crafted exclusively for the Auction to represent the pinnacle of what can be achieved in South African winemaking.
Local wine enthusiasts can taste the auction wines at the Auction Showcase at 18h00 at The Atrium, Nedbank Sandton in Johannesburg on Thursday, 1 September or at the Final Pre-auction Tasting at Spier in the Stellenbosch Winelands on Friday, 31 August 2011.
The 27th Nedbank CWG Auction is open to the public and will be held at the Spier Conference Centre on Saturday, 1 October 2011. Prospective buyers who are unable to attend the auction on the day, can register in advance with the CWG and take advantage of their telephonic and proxy bidding facilities.
For further details and to attend the Auction, visit www.capewinemakersguild.com or contact the Guild Office on Phone: 021 852 0408 or info@capewinemakersguild.com.
