Hot on the heels of a thrilling recent virtual live auction of some of South African oldest wines, Strauss & Co begins the spring with a highly anticipated producer-themed virtual live auction on Sunday October 10 from 10:00. On offer are some of the most coveted maiden vintages from three leading South African producers; Alheit Vineyards, Sadie Family Wines and Vilafonté.
Strauss & Co's previous producer-themed auctions highlighted rare and never-seen-before vintages from famous labels such as Klein Constantia, Meerlust and Kanonkop. Presenting a chance to snap up exceptional bottles, these sales have garnered feverish interest and fierce bidding. This latest sale, focused on three boutique winemakers, looks to be one of the most anticipated yet.
The wines on sale at the October 10 live online auction are predominantly sourced from the private cellars of the producers themselves, making this an extra special opportunity to get your hands on some exceptional bottles.
One sale, three prestigious winemakers
Alheit Vineyards is led by Cape winemakers Chris and Suzanne Alheit who set the wine world on fire with their maiden 2011 Cartology white blend receiving 96 points from the prestigious Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Harnessing the best old vineyards from across the Cape, they've continued their dedication to producing heritage wines with other super rare creations including the Radio Lazarus and 2013's Magnetic North, a single-origin Chenin Blanc wine considered to be one of South Africa's best. All of which and more are up for grabs at the auction.Led by revered South African winemaker Eben Sadie, Sadie Family Wines have been instrumental in helping put the Swartland region on the global map, kickstarting a local fine wine revolution along the way. The long-aging Columella is often regarded as South Africa’s best red and earlier vintages such as those on offer at the auction are especially sought-after. The Mev Kirsten from Sadie's old vine single vineyard series, now counts as one of South Africa's rarest white wines, while the Skurfberg received legend status when it scored a perfect 100 points from Tim Atkin in 2020.
Vilafonté is a high-profile collaboration between the well-known American winemaking team of Zelma Long and Phil Freese and South Africa's Mike Ratcliffe. Combining meticulous viticulture and modern cellar practices, Vilafonté has long sat at the cutting-edge of South African fine wine and is considered to be this country's most luxurious red wine brand. Two decades on from their launch, both the Cabernet Sauvignon-based C series and the Merlot and Malbec dominated M series are the highest scoring Bordeaux-style reds in South African wines today.
Tips for buying fine wines at auction
We asked Higgo Jacobs from Strauss & Co for some tips on buying wine at auction if you are a first-timer:- Buy what you enjoy. This means that you won’t be unhappy with your purchase regardless of what happens in value of the investment.
- Read up on prominent critic notes and reports and find a space in the market where you’re comfortable with the information and with what you spend.
- After purchase make sure that you store the wines correctly. If you don’t have a suitable cellar at home, rather store them professionally.
How to bid in Strauss & Co's virtual live auctions
To join in the bidding online, first create an account by registering on the Strauss & Co website. Sign in and select 'enter auction' which will open the bidding console on your computer with a live feed of the auctioneer. Once you submit a bid, your number will appear on the screen followed by any competing bidding numbers until the auctioneer closes the lot.In addition to bidding live online, you can also still submit phone bids with Strauss & Co's team manning the phones in the room, or submit a 'commission' bid in the days before the auction detailing the ceiling amount for which you would like to bid for a lot. You will 'win' your bid if no other bidders exceed your commission bid.
