Barrydale Chardonnay and Traildust Pinotage ‘surprise’ at CWG Auction
WHO WOULD have thought it possible? The Mullineux couple Chris (viticulturist) and Andrea (winemaker), perhaps! But how amazing it was that the only white wine to fetch over R1000 a bottle on average at South Africa’s 2019 Cape Winemakers Guild Auction in Stellenbosch came from grapes grown in Barrydale, Klein Karoo – more than Ataraxia Chardonnay of Hemel-en-Aarde, more than the CWG Chardonnay of Jordan, Stellenbosch Kloof, wines from producers with far more established reputations.
As they say: “Not a normal wine,” the Leeu Passant Radicales Libres 2014 was “inspired by the concentrated white wines of Rioja and the Jura… After fermentation, this Chardonnay was aged in barrel for a further FIVE YEARS! In that time, as water evaporates, everything else in the wine concentrates. It is an intentionally powerful experience… Salt and almonds and time and power…”
With members including some of South Africa’s finest cellarmasters and a history dating back to 1982, the Guild continues to stage one of the country’s premier wine sales involving very limited quantities and special bottlings – some experimental, some one-offs, some innovative, mostly young. Nearly 30% of the 2019 sales went to foreign bidders from around the world, and as at previous CWG auctions there was a heightened level of interest when cases of Kanonkop, Boekenhoutskloof and Hartenberg came under the hammer. Another of the highlights was Traildust of Beyerskloof pipping Rijk’s and Kanonkop on the Pinotage front.
See below as regards what fetched the highest prices on the day. Full results of the auction and more about the Guild available from the organisers: click here. All 750ml bottles.
TOP PRICES PAID
Kanonkop CWG Paul Sauer 2016
Avg of R11 525pc (R1920pb), High of R14 500pc
Boekenhoutskloof Syrah Auction Reserve 2017
Avg of R8900pc (R1483pb), High of R12 000pc
Hartenberg CWG Auction Shiraz 2016
Avg of R8488pc (R1414pb), High of R9800pc
Beyerskloof CWG Traildust Pinotage 2017
Avg of R7477pc (R1246pb), High of R8200pc
Cederberg Teen Die Hoog Shiraz 2017
Avg of R7465pc (R1244pb), High of R8000pc
Saronsberg The Inner Circle 2016 (Red Blend)
Avg of R7236pc (R1206pb), High of R7500pc
Rijk’s CWG Pinotage 2016
Avg of R7068pc (R1178pb), High of R9000pc
Leeu Passant Radicales Libres 2014 (Chardonnay)
Avg of R6979pc (R1163pb), High of R7200pc
Jordan Sophia 2016 (Red Blend)
Avg of R6808pc (R1134pb), High of R7200pc
Paul Cluver Auction Selection Pinot Noir 2017
Avg of R6267pc (R1044pb), High of R6800pc
Boschkloof Epilogue Syrah 2017
Avg of R6264pc (R1044pb), High of R6600pc
Kanonkop CWG Pinotage 2017
Avg of R6063pc (R1010pb), High of R7000pc
The Chardonnay for Leeu Passant Radicales Libres 2014 comes from Joubert-Tradauw in Barrydale. Meyer Joubert very kindly agreed to supply us with some fruit and thanks to its wonderful character and acidity we thought it perfect to experiment with in an extended barrel-aged style. We have made a few subsequent vintages but they are not yet bottled.