ESTABLISHED as the Nederburg Auction, Paarl, it was ‘reinvented’ in 2019 as the Cape Fine & Rare Wine Auction, held over two days in October at the Rupert Museum, Stellenbosch, with Charlie Foley of British auction house Christie’s wielding the gavel. Sponsored by Libertas Vineyards & Estates of Distell, the October sale is billed as one of the most prestigious events on the South African wine calendar, committed to the continuation of the country’s rich wine heritage and international recognition for its best bottles.

Klein Constantia were too optimistic in setting reserve prices of R45K for three bottles of their 1993 Vin de Constance Natural Sweet and R40K for six bottles of the 2001, the only two wines in the catalogue that went unsold. Nevertheless, the 2007 and 2012 vintages attacted some of the highest bids and surely there can no longer be any doubt about KC having lifted the SA dessert wine crown worn by Nederburg for many years dating back to when this auction was founded in 1975.

Libertas got lots of attention for their well-aged reds and desserts, a number of them made by previous generations decades back – Chateau Libertas, Nederburg, Oude Libertas, Zonnebloem – and KWV of Paarl fetched plenty for Cape Port made over three quarters of a century ago. However the top price paid was for a Bordeaux-style Cab-led red blend from the Vilafonté cellar in Stellenbosch: R22 000 for a large format (5 litre) bottle of the 2005 vintage. And who would have thought that the second-highest price paid would be for a Merlot grown in the Groenekloof ward of Darling!

Meerlust shone with golden oldies, as did Lanzerac and Rustenberg, also of Stellenbosch. A wonderful collection of the Sadie Columella red blend from the Swartland – 24 bottles spanning 16 vintages – went for R75 000. Whereas most in demand among the white wines were the Chenins of Alheit, David & Nadia and DeMorgenzon – not forgetting Ken Forrester’s FMC, nor the Single Tree Chardonnay of Uva Mira.

The charity auction which raised over R223 000 in aid of the arts therapies collective ‘sp(i)eel’ was led by wine guru Michael Fridjhon, one of the curators involved in the selection of items for the auction proper. Highlights included a 5L bottle of Newton Johnson Pinot Noir 2014 that fetched R9000, a bottle of Cheval Blanc 1971 (R11 000), one of Mouton Rothschild 2016 (R25 000) and a bottle of 42-year-old Ledaig Dùsgadh Single Malt Scotch Whisky (R40 000).

The new-format auction is intended to showcase the top South African wines to enthusiasts, investors and collectors. That said, the top buyers were Singita (game reserves), Tsogo Sun (hotels), Big Five (duty free) and Spar (retail group). By the end of day two, some 3000 litres of wine had been sold for around R2.6 million – 95% of total sales went to SA buyers.

For all of the bidders’ absolute favourites, see below. For the full results and more info about the auction or the wines that came under the hammer, click here.

 

TOP PRICES PAID

 

RED WINE

Vilafonté Series C 2005 (Blend)
1×5L bottle sold for R22 000 – R3300/750ml

Nederburg Private Bin R181 Merlot 2009
30 cases of 6×750ml bottles sold for R19 733 pc (avg) – R3289/750ml

Zonnebloem Cabernet Sauvignon 1969
2 cases of 3×375ml bottles sold for R4500 pc – R3000/750ml

Meerlust Rubicon 1989
6×750ml bottles sold for R16 000 – R2667/750ml

Lanzerac Cabernet 1970
6×375ml bottles sold for R3900 – R2600/750ml

Lanzerac Cabernet 1959
2×750ml bottles sold for R4500 – R2250/750ml

Rustenberg 1974 (Cabernet)
2×750ml bottles sold for R4200 – R2100/750ml

Sadie Columella Double Vertical (Blend)
12×750ml bottles (2001-2012) and 12×1.5L bottles (2005-2016) sold for R75 000 – R2083/750ml

Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon 2971
3×750ml bottles sold for R5000 – R1667/750ml

Chateau Libertas 1959 (Blend)
3×375ml bottles sold for R2400 – R1600/750ml

Uva Mira O.T.V. 2014 (Blend)
2 cases of 6×750ml bottles sold for R9000 pc – R1500/750ml

Waterford The Jem 2009 (Blend)
6×750ml bottles sold for R9000 pc – R1500/750ml

Kanonkop Paul Sauer 1995 (Blend)
3 cases of 6×750ml bottles sold for R8500 pc – R1417/750ml

Zonnebloem Cabernet Sauvignon 1979
3×750ml bottles sold for R3800 – R1267/750ml

Waterford The Jem 2014 (Blend)
6×750ml bottles sold for R7500 – R1250/750ml

Zonnebloem Pinotage 1979
2 cases of 6×750ml bottles sold for R7500 pc – R1250/750ml

Nederburg Private Bin R103 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 1979
6×750ml bottles sold for R7500 pc – R1250/750ml

Eikendal Infused by Earth Cabernet Franc 2015
5 cases of 3×750ml bottles sold for R3360 pc (avg) – R1120/750ml

Nederburg Private Bin R172 Pinotage 1976
6×750ml bottles sold for R6600 – R1100/750ml

La Motte Hanneli R 2007 (Blend)
2 cases of 2×1.5L bottles sold for R4250 pc (avg) – R1063/750ml

Oude Libertas Pinot Noir 1979
2 cases of 3×750ml bottles sold for R3150 pc (avg) – R1050/750ml

Vergelegen V 2008 (Cabernet)
3 cases of 6×750ml bottles sold for R6100 pc (avg) – R1017/750ml

Rustenberg Peter Barlow Cabernet Sauvigon 2009
5 cases of 6×750ml bottles sold for R6000 pc – R1000/750ml

Paul Cluver Seven Flags Pinot Noir 2012
6×750ml bottles sold for R6000 – R1000/750ml

Nederburg Private Bin R103 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 1982
6×750ml bottles sold for R6000 – R1000/750ml

Nederburg Private Bin R163 Cabernet Sauvignon 1982
3×1.5L bottles sold for R6000 – R1000/750ml

 

RED & WHITE WINE

Old Vine Project Old Vine Collection (Mixed Case)
2 cases of 12×750ml bottles sold for R12 000 pc – R1000/750ml
WHITES: Alheit Cartology 2015 (Chenin Semillon), Antonij Rupert’s Cape of Good Hope Laing Groendruif 2016 (Semillon), David & Nadia Chenin Blanc 2015, David & Nadia Hoë Steen Chenin Blanc 2017, DeMorgenzon The Divas Chenin Blanc 2017, Opstal’s Carl Everson Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2017
REDS: Darling Cellars Old Bush Vine Cinsault 2016, Metzer Cinsault 2018, Leeu Passant Lötter Cinsault 2015, Naude Old Vines Cinsault 2015, Roodekrantz 1954 Cinsault 2017, Sadie Pofadder 2017 (Cinsaut Grenache Noir)

 

WHITE WINE

Alheit Magnetic North Mountain Makstok 2015 (Chenin)
2 cases of 6×750ml bottles sold for R6000 pc (avg) – R1000/750ml

David & Nadia Hoë Steen Chenin Blanc 2015
6×750ml bottles sold for R6000 – R1000/750ml

DeMorgenzon The Divas Chenin Blanc 2013
4 cases of 3×750ml bottles sold for R3000 pc – R1000/750ml

Uva Mira The Single Tree Chardonnay 2014
2 cases of 6×750ml bottles sold for R5333 pc (avg) – R889/750ml

David & Nadia Hoë Steen Chenin Blanc 2016
2 cases of 6×750ml bottles sold for R4800 – R800/750ml

Ken Forrester The FMC 2009 (Chenin)
3 cases of 6×750ml bottles sold for R4500 pc – R750/750ml

 

SPARKLING WINE

Le Lude Agrafe 2012 (MCC)
3 cases of 3×750ml bottles sold for R3100 pc (avg) – R1033/750ml

 

DESSERT WINE

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2007 (Natural Sweet)
6×500ml bottles sold for R12 000 – R3000/750ml

Nederburg Private Bin Edelkeur 1979 (Noble Late)
2 cases of 3×375ml bottles sold for R3133 pc (avg) – R2089/750ml

Nederburg Private Bin Eminence 1989 (Noble Late)
2 cases of 3×375ml bottles sold for R3000 pc (avg) – R2000/750ml

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2012 (Natural Sweet)
6×500ml bottles sold for R8000 – R2000/750ml

Keermont Fleurfontein 2012 (Noble Late)
2 cases of 3×375ml bottles sold for R2600 pc – R1733/750ml

 

CAPE PORT

KWV Tawny Port 1939
2×750ml bottles sold for R6000 – R3000/750ml

KWV Ruby Port 1949
2×750ml bottles sold for R5000 – R2500/750ml