Bordeaux Index at the Cape Winemakers Guild Auction 2024
Bordeaux Index
4 November 2024
A couple of weeks ago, Bordeaux Index once again participated in the annual Cape Winemakers Guild Auction. This event acts as a celebration of South African wine, showcasing rare and unique wines produced in small quantities. This year raised upwards of 10% more than the record-breaking 2023 auction, netting R16 million.
One of the most exciting initiatives to come out of the South African winemaking scene is the development of The Cape Winemakers Guild. Founded in 1982, the guild serves to improve the quality of South African wine by encouraging the sharing of knowledge between its members and by tasting international benchmarks. The guild is comprised of 41 members, hand-selected by the guild to meet regularly as a technical tasting group. Here, members are provided with the opportunity to assess wines from across the globe and share ideas and knowledge with one another, ensuring that the CWG members remain leading producers in the industry
The 40th Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction was held in Stellenbosch on the 4th and 5th October. A key event in the South African wine calendar, the hybrid auction drew 276 bidders from 13 countries, raising a sum of R16 645 500, up 11% on last year. With 2,118 cases of wine sold, the top sellers were Savage Wines Auction Syrah 2022, Boschkloof CWG Epilogue Syrah 2022 and David & Nadia Veiling Chenin Blanc 2023.
Samantha O'Keefe, Chair of the Cape Winemakers Guild commented on the success of the auction:
“As members of the Cape Winemakers Guild, we proudly strive for excellence in the art of wine – both as individuals and as a collective. It’s gratifying to see this ethos recognised and rewarded in the culmination of the annual Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction. We are thrilled with the record-breaking results of this year’s auction, fetching almost R2m more than last year. Furthermore, our members’ rare and unique wines, created exclusively for the auction, drew bidders from 13 countries and continue to garner loyal support among local wine-lovers.”
This year, 48 different wines went under the hammer, comprising of 20 white and 28 reds, created exclusively for the auction. The selection process is rigorous, the wines screened by an independent laboratory before being tasted and selected by a specialist panel of Guild members.
We were lucky enough to secure a selection of fine South African wines, and once again were the single largest buyer at the CWG Auction. David Thomas, Sales Director at Bordeaux Index commented on the success of the 40th CWG Auction in an interview with The Drinks Business:
“Once more, we were the single largest buyer at the auction, and we are very glad to have an opportunity to support the South African wine industry in such a public way. We firmly believe that South Africa is producing the best value wines in the world, and the calibre of the wines on auction this year was outstanding. We’re running a six-week-long campaign on South Africa this year and the auction forms a centrepiece of our efforts, showcasing some of the greatest talents on the Cape. All serious collectors should be buying South African wine.”
Alex Aldersley-Hey, Buyer at Bordeaux Index, oversaw the placement of bids on the Friday, here highlighting his top picks from the 2024 auction:
“One of the real standouts of the auction this year for us was Syrah. This is rapidly becoming South Africa’s signature variety and the best examples rank alongside the Northern Rhone as some of the finest in the world. We were particularly impressed with Lismore’s Sheltering Sky Syrah and Boschkloof’s Epilogue, and we took a big position on both.”
Prior to the auction, we were lucky enough to speak to Samantha O'Keefe, who spoke about the unique opportunities of the region:
Great terroir and innovation. South Africa has been making wine for 300 years, but in the last 30 years, producers are pushing into new and untested regions, experimenting with new cultivars, the industry is on a collective mission to make world-class wine without being limited by the proud history of what has always been done.
South Africa has rapidly ascended to prominence in the global wine industry, earning a reputation as a region that can rival the best of Europe. With a history rich in tradition, diverse winemaking conditions, and a growing roster of exceptional producers, South African wine has firmly established itself as a force to be reckoned with. As wine enthusiasts increasingly turn their attention to this dynamic region, producers like Porseleinberg, Le Riche, Hamilton-Russell, and Lismore are leading the charge, crafting wines that captivate the senses and showcase the unique terroirs of South Africa.