Distell showcases Nederburg Heritage Heroes

Distell, Africa’s leading producer and marketer of spirits and fine wines, has expanded its portfolio with the arrival of the Nederburg Heritage Heroes range in the UK.

The new, premium collection consists of five variants, each individually named in honour of a personality who has played a major role in shaping the winery’s reputation. The wines include The Motorcycle Marvel, The Anchorman, The Young Airhawk, The Brew Master and The Beautiful Lady.

The limited-edition range being launched into the on-trade features a 2012 Gewurztraminer, two carefully wooded whites; a 2012 Chenin and 2013 Sauvignon and two red blends; a 2011 Rhone and 2010 Bordeaux blend. The grapes, all hand-picked and then hand-sorted at the Nederburg cellars, have been sourced from top-performing vineyards.

The wines will be launched at the Nederburg stand at the upcoming Matthew Clark tastings in London (3rd March), Edinburgh (31st March), Bristol (14th April), Birmingham (21st April) and York (29th April).

Sarah Gandy, Distell international marketing manager for wine in the UK and Europe comments: “We are really excited to be launching the Heritage Heroes range, created by our award-winning winemaker, Razvan Macici. These premium wines have been created with a focus on innovation and are intended to be particularly appealing to food enthusiasts. They will initially be targeted at fine dining establishments in the on-trade and we are already proud to have listings at the new Marco Pierre White restaurant opening at The Threadneedle hotel.”

The Motorcycle Marvel is a 2011 vintage Rhône-style blend of Grenache, Carignan and Shiraz, and pays homage to celebrated winemaker Günter Brözel, who played a leading role in building Nederburg’s reputation as the most awarded winery in South Africa.

The Brew Master, named after Johann Graue, is a blend in the style of Bordeaux, led by Cabernet Sauvignon and including Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

Graue’s son, Arnold trained in Germany and although he won many prizes during his short career in the late 1940s and early 1950s, introducing several innovations in the cellar, he died tragically in a light airplane accident and was eventually replaced by the young Brözel. The Young Airhawk honours Arnold and is an oak-fermented Sauvignon Blanc that spent 10 months in wood, made from grapes sourced from three different areas, each with a distinctive profile.

The Anchorman is a gorgeously golden, wooded Chenin Blanc named after Nederburg’s founder, Philippus Wolvaart, who founded the farm he called Nederburg in 1791.

The newest addition to Nederburg's Heritage Heroes collection is the maiden 2012 vintage of The Beautiful Lady. The single-vineyard Gewűrztraminer takes its name from a description of Ilse Graue, the wife of Johann Graue.

The Heritage Hero range is available now, exclusively through Matthew Clark. Nederburg has also recently released Two Centuries Cabernet Sauvignon, which will join the Ingenuity Red and White, and on-trade exclusive range The Manor by Nederburg, all of which will be showcased at the Matthew Clark tastings. 

25 February 2015 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor