Now that I have set the wine tasting at home scene (in case you didn’t see my post – here is a link : Nederburg Winemasters Reserve Wine Tasting). Let me go into some detail about the first lot of wines we tasted, which were the white varietals.

As white wines tend be fairly light, we didn’t want to pair them with anything too ‘heavy; or wintery. So we choose some chicken kebabs, mild chicken samoosa’s and homemade flat bread with biltong hummus. Please note, I did not make the kebabs or samoosa’s myself, I had some help from good old trusty woolworths.

Now let’s drive into the wines :

Nederburg Winemaster’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2015

Below is a quick overview from the vineyard :

Our overall rating was 15/20.

I am not a huge Sauvingnon Blanc fan as I often find them to be very dry and not to my palates liking. However, this Nederburg Winemaster’s Reserve one is delicious. It is very fruity and smooth. It is dry but not too dry. It also didn’t have that typical overly green pepper flavour, which was a pleasant surprise. that I really enjoyed it on it’s own and it also paired well with our homemade flat bread and biltong hummus.

Below are some general comments from my guests:

‘Easy to drink wine with a fantastic flavour and aroma’

‘Lovely aroma; good balance of favours but has a sharp aftertaste but overal good drinking wine’

‘Lovely light wine with a great fruity taste’

‘A well balanced fruity wine’

Nederburg Winemaster’s Reserve Riesling 2014

Information from the vineyard :

• Colour : brilliant green with a lime tinge
• Bouquet : floral and fruit with pineapple and spicy notes
• Palate : off-dry, crisp, and fresh with hints of pineapple and lime flavours with a lively finish
• Food Suggestions : served as chilled apertif, seafood, cream based dishes and spicy dishes. It is a very versatile and food-friendly wine

Our overall rating was 14/20.

For me personally the Riesling was too dry and acidic. However, it was fragrant. In terms of the other guested, there was a mixed view but overall we agreed that it paired well with seafood and our spicy seafood soup brought out the flavours in the Riesling.

Some general comments from my guests:

‘Fantastic wine with seafood dishes. Dry but not too acidic. Very enjoyable’

‘Dry but an easy drinking wine that pairs well with curry’

‘Very dry white but still pleasant to drink’

‘Floral bouquet and a fruit after taste that pairs well with seafood curry’

Nederburg Winemaster’s Reserve Chardonnay 2014

• Colour : Lemon Green
• Bouquet : Aromas of stone fruit, and citrus with vanilla notes in the background
• Palate : refreshing with citrus and apricot flavours and a creamy texture.
• Food Suggestions : Thai and other oriental dishes, smoked salmon, grilled fish, and dishes with cream based sauces.

Our overall rating was 14/20.

Chardonnay is a hit and miss with me – I either love or hate it. It all boils down to how buttery and smooth the after taste is. Having said this, the Nederbery Winemaster’s Reserve is a little different. It is a light refreshing white wine that is easy to drink and it’s too buttery. I am happy to say that I would happily drink a bottle of this while watching the African sunset from my veranda.

General guest comments :

‘Easy drinking wine with subtle recognisable aroma and flavour’

‘Very easy drinking for a Chardonnay’

‘Light and refreshing, easy drinking wine’

‘Smooth, well balanced and easy drinking Chardonnay. Pleasant and delicious’

Overall we really enjoyed the Nederburg Winemaster’s Reserve white wines. They set the tone for the rest of the wnes – which were also delicious. In my next blog, I will review all the red wines.

 

For more information on Nederburg’s Vineyards & Wines, visit their website: nederburg.com