As the festive season approaches and all your fancy cutlery and crockery make its way to the dinner table to entertain guests, a good wine goes a long way. 

Nederburg’s Private Bin collection boasts wines that are limited edition, age worthy and that are sourced from exceptional fruit and made by hand — making them the perfect dinner companion.  

The acclaimed R163 Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, released only during exceptional vintage years, was recently declared a Master at the 2022 The Drinks Business Global Cabernet Sauvignon series. 

The wine was also deemed one of the publication’s top 12 cabernet sauvignons of the year (the only SA one on the list), rubbing shoulders with the likes of the iconic Trefethen and Penfolds. 

The deep crimson-coloured Private Bin R163 Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 pairs excellently with rosemary-infused lamb, petit poussin with thyme, seared AAA rump, fillet or sirloin and Châteaubriand.

Master of Wine Patricia Stefanowicz, based in the UK, described the wine as “gorgeous” and “full and rich, packed with bramble and smoked meat flavours”. 

“Fresh acidity and dense tannins balance the generous alcohol, and hints of dark chocolate and vanilla bean accent the long finish,” she says. 

On the palate, the wine is velvety, soft, supple and understated, but complex and refined. 

The fruit for the Nederburg Private Bin R163 Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 came from top-performing vineyards situated in Paarl. These vines grow in red/yellow Tukulu and Clovelly soils ideal for root penetration due to their good water-holding capacity and limited compactness. 

As if to underscore the age-worthiness of this special-edition cabernet, the 2009 vintage of the R163 celebrated a Cabernet Sauvignon trophy triumph at the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards, while Nederburg was crowned the competition’s 2022 SA Producer of the Year.  

Matching the moment, Nederburg was also singled out as one of the top performing cellars at Veritas this year, coming away with five double gold and three gold medals.

The 2018 vintage of Nederburg’s Private Bin Two Centuries Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded gold by the esteemed judging panel of the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).  

For details of availability and prices of award-winning offerings, visit  www.vinoteque.co.za or www.nederburg.com.