The total sales at this year’s Nederburg Auction might be 16% lower than last year’s sales but this is good news for collectors of fine and rare wines. Sales closed on Saturday 29th September at R4 670 000, down from last year’s high of R6,1 million.

40% of the sales at the 2012 Nederburg Auction went to international buyers, while 60% of the wines were scooped up by local buyers.

Local supermarket groups and retailers accounted for more than one third of total sales. The Spar Group led the top 10 buyers’ list with sales of R666 280, followed closely by Checkers, Makro, Ultra Liquors and the Wine of the Month Club. Hotel Pension Palmquell, United Sports Club and Woermann Brock from Namibia, as well as Serena Lodge from Kenya and Southern Rhino International from Taiwan completed the highest bidders list. First-time buyer Crama Atelier from Romania impressed with purchases accounting for 2% of the total sales.

The average price per nine-litre case decreased from last year’s R1 985 to R1 663 and according to Distell’s Business Director of Wines, Carina Gous, this decrease is an accurate reflection of the current market conditions.

Chateau Libertas, who is also celebrating its 80th birthday this year, took top honours with a set of 12 vintages, spanning from 1959 to 1970. The 12 bottle case sold for R16 000, or R1 333 per bottle.

Two rare wines from Lanzerac also impressed some bidders with a 1964 Cabernet selling for R7 200 and a 1964 Pinotage achieving R6 200, for a six-bottle case each.

The highest price paid for a Noble Late Harvest wine was R5 000 for 12 x 375ml of Nederburg Edelkeur 1979 (R416 per bottle).

On the Port front, a rare KWV 1929 Reserve Port fetched a remarkable price of R8 200 per bottle.

The average price paid for Méthode Cap Classique was R2 808 per nine-litre case for J.C. Le Roux Scintilla 2001.

The guest speaker at this year’s auction was US-based wine writer and economist, Mike Veseth. During his speech on Saturday he commented that South African winemakers are terroirists. “How could they not be with such wonderful terroir all around them – and, although most consumers in the United States don’t yet understand the complexity of South Africa’s terroir, the fact of the diverse Cape wine terroir is terribly useful” he stated.

The charity auction on Saturday raised R157 700. The highest price paid was for a food and wine pairing experience hosted by cellarmaster Razvan Macici and celebrity chef Pete-Goffe Wood, bought by La Motte CEO Hein Koegelenberg for R30 000. The second highest price of R20 000 was paid for a bottle of very rare Madeira Boal Solera 1825 wine, donated by auctioneer Anthony Barne MW and bought by Hempies du Toit of Annandale. The three community-based beneficiaries are Goedgedacht Trust, the Pebbles Project Trust, and the Anna Foundation.

The complete breakdown of sales results for the2012 Nederburg Auction can be viewed here.