The 2009 vintage Rhône-style blend of Grenache, Carignan and Shiraz is called The Motorcycle Marvel and is homage to the celebrated winemaker, Günter Brözel, who played a leading role in building its reputation as the most awarded winery in South Africa. He was famous for his trips around the estate on a 250 cc BSA motorcycle.
Its sister Heritage Anthology blend is in the style of Bordeaux, led by Cabernet Sauvignon and including Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc is The Brew Master, named for Johann Graue. The owner of a leading brewery in Germany before he came to South Africa, he bought Nederburg in 1937. He had been trained as a viticulturist and set about advancing the quality of vine planting material to ensure he could make top-quality wines. He kept very careful records of the performance of his vines, noting the impact of location and specific clones, setting a precedent that was to be followed later by others in South African winemaking. He introduced many technical innovations and created the foundation for excellence followed by his successors.
The 2011 Young Airhawk is a wooded Sauvignon Blanc that pays tribute to Johann Graue's son, Arnold. He trained in Germany and was groomed to take over from his father. Although he won many prizes during his short career in the late 1940s and early 1950s and introduced several innovations in the cellar, he died tragically in a light airplane accident and was eventually replaced by the young Brözel.
The final wine in the quartet is a gorgeously golden, wooded Chenin Blanc, called The Anchorman after Nederburg's founder, Philippus Wolvaart, who was granted the farm he called Nederburg, in 1791 and planted Chenin Blanc, amongst other varietals.
The wines are expected to retail for around R97 for the whites and R105 for the reds.
