Nederburg's Weisser Riesling Noble Late Harvest Wins Six Nations Wine Challenge Trophy

The 2004 vintage of Nederburg’s Private Bin S316 Weisser Riesling Noble Late Harvest has won the 2018 Six Nations Wine Challenge trophy in Sydney, Australia, for the best dessert wine.

“Made entirely from Weisser Riesling grapes affected by botrytis cineria (noble rot) – a very rare occurrence – this straw-yellow wine is truly exceptional! I do believe that this is one of the very best noble late harvest wines Nederburg has ever made,” says Andrea Freeborough, Nederburg’s cellar-master.

“It’s regularly lauded on international and local platforms. This wine has won a gold medal at the 2012 Veritas Awards, as well as at the 2008 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show and even came away with a gold (best in class) medal at the 2006 International Wine & Spirit Competition.

“The grapes came from old, established vineyards that grow on the slopes of Simondium in Paarl. The fruit was harvested by hand at 28° to 40° Balling during May. Further berry selection took place at the cellar where the fruit was destemmed and crushed. After 24 hours of skin contact the juice was fermented in stainless-steel tanks at 16°C for over five weeks. Once the desired residual sugar level had been reached the fermentation was stopped. The wine received no wood maturation,” Freeborough explains.

She describes this dessert wine as supremely fragrant with intense aromas of nectarines, figs and a trace of herbs, and a rich, luscious palate with complex layers of fruit and nuts, balanced by good acidity, and ending in a long, honeyed finish.

Freeborough suggests serving it with -based desserts, liver patés and blue cheeses. “It’s terrific on its own and even makes a delicious substitute for dessert.”

The annual Six Nations Wine Challenge is a prestigious annual New World wine competition between Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA; and features six wine judges, one from each participating nation, with Michael Fridjhon, South Africa’s most highly regarded international wine judge and writer, representing the country.

Six hundred wines are entered by invitation only, 100 per participating country. Each judge is set the task of selecting wines across 16 classes. A trophy is awarded for the top scoring wine in each class, with double gold and gold medals awarded to the rest of the wines in the class according to the points achieved.

Nederburg’s S316 Weisser Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2004 forms part of the winery’s exclusive Private Bin collection. This range is sold exclusively on the prestigious Nederburg Auction that takes place annually on the farm in Paarl. Private Bin wines are all limited-edition, age-worthy, sourced from exceptional fruit and made by hand. Nederburg pioneered noble late harvest wines in South Africa with the 1969 Edelkeur, sold on the Nederburg Auction in 1975.

Nederburg Private Bin Eminence Noble Late Harvest 2012 earned double gold at the 2018 Six Nations Wine Challenge, while the 2013 vintage of Nederburg Two Centuries Cabernet Sauvignon achieved a gold medal.

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Website: www.nederburg.co.za / www.nederburg.com