Prices come off their record 2002 highs
Price levels at the annual Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction held on Saturday, 11 October, at Spier Conference Centre near Stellenbosch were generally down on those at the 2002 auction, suggesting those who participated were able to get bargains on some of SA’s most desirable wine. Total sales of R2,7 million reflect a fall of 12% from last year’s record high of R3,2 million (after taking into account that 4% fewer cases came under the hammer this year).
Weaker demand from foreign buyers because of the strengthening rand, general slowdown in economic conditions in local and foreign markets and the fall off in top-end tourism are some of the reasons put forward by the organisers for the lower prices.
Chris Keet, Chairman of the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild, expected prices to come off the boil at this year’s Auction, “It was inevitable that the strong rand would affect prices at the Auction. We didn’t have as many foreign buyers this year as we would have liked and local buyers were more cautious as tourism levels are expected to be down this season due to a weak world economy.”
Top buyer at the Auction this year was again The Butcher Shop and Grill from Sandton with purchases of R235 000 followed by Opifex Wines from Sweden, Tala Private Game Reserve, Makro, Rouseu Kaapse Wijnen from Belgium and Well International from Japan, all of whom purchased in excess of R100 000. Local buyers accounted for 72% of sales, and foreign buyers 28% compared to the 69%/31% split last year.
The equivalent of 2 594 6-bottle cases came under the hammer this year. With prices falling away the average price for a case of six was R1 035 (R172 per bottle), down 12% from last year’s record R1 181 (R197 per bottle).
The highest price per 6-bottle case was paid for Beyers Truter’s Kanonkop Pinotage 2001 at R3 000 followed by Gyles Webb’s Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2001 at R2 150.
But the star of the day was undoubtedly Andre van Rensburg whose Vergelegen Schaapenberg Auction Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2002 fetched an average price of R2 060 per case, by some way the highest of the day and by far the highest ever for a white wine in the history of the Auction. This was followed by the Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 at an average of R1 805 and the Vergelegen Auction Reserve 2000, a Bordeaux-style red blend at R 1 690.
The generosity of the bidders saw R142 350 being raised this year for the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Development Trust, which supports wine industry worker communities and their families. Together with Nedbank’s donation of R100 000 almost a quarter of a million Rand was added to the Trust’s funds.
All amounts referred to above exclude VAT.
For detailed result, click here. 2003 NIB CWG AUCTION – SUMMARY OF PRICES REALISED PER ITEM
| START LOT | END LOT | ITEM | WINE | NO. CASES (4,5L equivalent) |
MIN (R/Case) |
MAX (R/Case) |
AVE (R/Case) |
TOTAL INCOME (Excluding VAT) |
MAX (R/Bottle) |
| 1 | 14 | 1 | Vergelegen Schaapenberg Auction Reserve 2002 | 50 | 2,000.00 | 2,100.00 | 2,060.00 | 103,000.00 |
350.00
|
| 15 | 38 | 2 | Hidden Valley Pinotage Reserve 2001 | 90 | 700.00 | 1,300.00 | 891.11 | 80,200.00 |
216.67
|
| 39 | 64 | 3 | Kanonkop Pinotage 2001 | 100 | 1,400.00 | 3,000.00 | 1,556.00 | 155,600.00 |
500.00
|
| 65 | 90 | 4 | Graham Beck Robertson Muscat De Frontignan 1997 | 100 | 400.00 | 800.00 | 528.00 | 52,800.00 |
133.33
|
| 91 | 109 | 5 | Simonsig Kv Cuve Chne 2000 | 66 | 500.00 | 650.00 | 530.30 | 35,000.00 |
108.33
|
| 110 | 128 | 6 | Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2002 | 70 | 1,200.00 | 1,600.00 | 1,291.43 | 90,400.00 |
266.67
|
| 129 | 154 | 7 | Bredell’s Shiraz 2001 | 100 | 600.00 | 900.00 | 644.00 | 64,400.00 |
150.00
|
| 155 | 180 | 8 | L’avenir Pinotage Reserve 2002 | 100 | 600.00 | 1,400.00 | 840.00 | 84,000.00 |
233.33
|
| 181 | 202 | 9 | Glen Carlou The Cottages Chardonnay Reserve 2002 | 80 | 650.00 | 1,000.00 | 782.50 | 62,600.00 |
166.67
|
| 203 | 225 | 10 | Le Riche Auction Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 | 84 | 1,200.00 | 1,400.00 | 1,235.71 | 103,800.00 |
233.33
|
| 226 | 242 | 11 | Rudera Chenin Blanc Noble Late Harvest Auction Reserve 2003 | 60 | 700.00 | 950.00 | 793.33 | 47,600.00 |
158.33
|
| 243 | 264 | 12 | Flagstone Dragon Tree Reserve 2001 | 80 | 600.00 | 1,400.00 | 775.00 | 62,000.00 |
233.33
|
| 265 | 286 | 13 | Cordoba Cabernet Franc / Merlot 1999 | 80 | 750.00 | 1,200.00 | 915.00 | 73,200.00 |
200.00
|
| 287 | 300 | 14 | Kaapzicht Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2001 | 50 | 650.00 | 800.00 | 686.00 | 34,300.00 |
133.33
|
| 301 | 332 | 15 | Hartenberg Gravel Hill Shiraz 2000 | 120 | 900.00 | 1,200.00 | 1,009.17 | 121,100.00 |
200.00
|
| 333 | 358 | 16 | Warwick Femme Bleue 2001 | 100 | 700.00 | 950.00 | 785.00 | 78,500.00 |
158.33
|
| 359 | 367 | 17 | Boplaas Auction Reserve Port 2001 | 30 | 1,050.00 | 1,200.00 | 1,093.33 | 32,800.00 |
200.00
|
| 368 | 399 | 18 | Bouchard Finlayson Auction Reserve Pinot Noir 2001 | 120 | 850.00 | 1,350.00 | 1,077.50 | 129,300.00 |
225.00
|
| 400 | 425 | 19 | Graham Beck Coastal Shiraz 95%/Viognier 5% 2002 | 100 | 700.00 | 1,050.00 | 798.00 | 79,800.00 |
175.00
|
| 426 | 446 | 20 | Vergelegen Auction Reserve 2000 | 76 | 1,600.00 | 1,850.00 | 1,689.47 | 128,400.00 |
308.33
|
| 447 | 478 | 21 | Jordan Sophia Auction Reserve 2001 | 120 | 1,200.00 | 1,500.00 | 1,323.33 | 158,800.00 |
250.00
|
| 479 | 508 | 22 | Grangehurst Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2001 | 110 | 850.00 | 1,100.00 | 910.91 | 100,200.00 |
183.33
|
| 509 | 525 | 23 | Simonsig Shiraz Auction Reserve 2002 | 60 | 850.00 | 950.00 | 896.67 | 53,800.00 |
158.33
|
| 526 | 544 | 24 | Glen Carlou Zinfandel 2002 | 70 | 600.00 | 1,350.00 | 907.14 | 63,500.00 |
225.00
|
| 545 | 561 | 25 | - | 60 | 950.00 | 1,250.00 | 1,076.67 | 64,600.00 |
208.33
|
| 562 | 567 | 26 | Rudera Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2001 (3l Bottles) | 12 | 1,000.00 | 1,100.00 | 1,029.17 | 12,350.00 |
183.33
|
| 568 | 599 | 27 | Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2001 | 120 | 1,600.00 | 2,150.00 | 1,805.00 | 216,600.00 |
358.33
|
| 600 | 607 | 28 | Boplaas 10 Year Old Auction Reserve Potstill Brandy 1992 | 20 | 1,000.00 | 1,450.00 | 1,255.00 | 25,100.00 |
241.67
|
| 608 | 628 | 29 | Graham Beck Robertson Barrel Fermented Shiraz 2002 | 76 | 550.00 | 800.00 | 634.21 | 48,200.00 |
133.33
|
| 629 | 658 | 30 | Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay 2002 | 110 | 850.00 | 1,100.00 | 934.55 | 102,800.00 |
183.33
|
| 659 | 672 | 31 | Kaapzicht Auction Reserve 2001 – 3 X 1,5l | 50 | 650.00 | 800.00 | 690.00 | 34,500.00 |
133.33
|
| 673 | 698 | 32 | Kanonkop 2000 | 100 | 1,300.00 | 1,800.00 | 1,417.00 | 141,700.00 |
300.00
|
| 699 | 702 | 33 | Grangehurst Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 1997 | 10 | 1,500.00 | 1,800.00 | 1,680.00 | 16,800.00 |
300.00
|
| 703 | 706 | 34 | Hidden Valley Pinotage Reserve 1997 | 10 | 1,000.00 | 1,200.00 | 1,080.00 | 10,800.00 |
200.00
|
| 707 | 710 | 35 | Boplaas Bonaparte Red Dessert Wine 1989 | 10 | 1,400.00 | 1,600.00 | 1,520.00 | 15,200.00 |
266.67
|
|
|
|||||||||
| Totals & Averages – All Wines – Cases 4,5L equivalent | 2594 | 400.00 | 3,000.00 | 1,034.60 | 2,683,750.00 |
500.00
|
|||
| Totals & Averages – All Wines – Per Bottle | 15564 | 66.67 | 500.00 | 172.43 | |||||
| 400.00 | |||||||||
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