Nederburg Heritage Heroes The Anchorman Old Vine Chenin Blanc

Nederburg Heritage Heroes The Anchorman Old Vine Chenin Blanc is named after the founder of Nederburg, the “Anchorman”, Phillipus Bernadus Wolvaart whose first planting was Chenin Blanc. The Heritage Heroes range of wines, which also includes the Young Airhawk and the Motorcycle Marvel, pays homage to legendary people who have worked at Nederburg through the years.

Nederburg Wine Estate has a long wine-making history stretching back over 200 years to 1791 when Phillipus Bernadus Wolvaart was granted ownership of 49 hectares of land, in what is now Paarl, by the Dutch East India Company. He called his new property Nederburgh and immediately set about clearing land and planting vines. By 1808 he had planted over 63,000 vines laying the foundations for what was to become the wine company we know today.

Nederburg has changed hands many times through the years but was owned by the large South African wine and spirit company, Distell, for many years. Most recently, in 2023, Distell was taken over by Heineken and integrated into Heineken Beverages, a company created by the merger of Distell and Namibia Breweries. Since 2021 the team at Nederburg has been led by cellarmaster and seasoned winemaker, Samuel Viljoen. he is ably assisted by winemakers Zinaschke Steyn, Imellia Prins and Jamie Williams. Nederburg remains one of South Africa’s most awarded wineries and their wines display a hallmark combination of fruit and finesse.

The fruit for the Nederburg Heritage Heroes The Anchorman Old Vine Chenin Blanc was sourced from old, low-yielding vines in Paarl and Darling. The fruit is sourced from Swartland and Agter-Paarl vines, 38 and 36 years old respectively. These heritage vines are certified by South Africa’s esteemed Old Vine Project (OVP).

Winemaking

The Anchorman consists of three differently vinified components. One portion of fruit was fermented in first-, second- and third-fill 300-litre and 500-litre barrels. A second component was fermented in stainless-steel tanks, while a third was fermented in amphorae (clay pots). After fermentation, the various components were kept on the lees for nine months prior to final blending and bottling.

A lively, rich and layered food-friendly wine full of character.