Nederburg Winemasters Reserve Edelrood 2013

Tradition and talent blend with passion, precision and patience at Nederburg, where classically structured wines are made with vibrant fruit flavours. Nederburg’s hallmark combination of fruit and finesse continues to be rewarded around the world. The Paarl winery continues to earn five-star ratings for its wines in Platter’s South African Wine Guide. In 2011, Nederburg was chosen as Platter’s Winery of the Year, with an unprecedented five wines across the multi-tiered range earning five-star ratings. In addition, cellarmaster Razvan Macici was crowned the 2012 Diners Club Winemaker of the Year and the winery itself announced the South African Producer of the Year at the 2012 International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC). These are just some of the many accolades earned by Nederburg where hand-crafted, micro-cuvées for specialist winelovers and beautifully balanced and accessible wines for everyday enjoyment are made with equal commitment.

Razvan Macici heads the team as Nederburg cellarmaster. He is supported by two winemakers who work closely under his direction. They are Samuel Viljoen, who produces the red wines and Natasha Boks, who makes the whites.

The Winemaster’s Reserve Collection: Nederburg’s core superpremium wines are accommodated in the Winemaster’s Reserve ensemble, named to honour the long-established tradition of winemaking excellence. These classically styled, food-friendly wines with refreshing fruit flavours, elegance and finesse, treasure the integrity of our grapes in every step of the wine-growing and winemaking journey. Every glass demonstrates an unwavering commitment to world-class vineyard and cellar skills.

The grapes were sourced from bush and trellised vineyards in the Paarl, Darling and Stellenbosch areas. Planted between 1990 and 1998, the vines are grown in decomposed granite on south-westerly facing slopes, situated some 50 m to 150 m above sea level. The vines, grafted onto nematode-resistant rootstocks Richter 99 and R110, are grown under dryland conditions while some of the vines received supplementary irrigation by means of an overhead sprinkler system.

The grapes were harvested by hand and machine at 23º to 25º Balling during February and March.

The fruit was crushed and fermented on the skins in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks at 25ºC to 28ºC for 10 to 14 days. Upon completion of malolactic fermentation the wine was matured in a combination of new-, second- and third-fill barrels for a period of 8 to 12 months.