Bancroft Wines at the 2016 London Wine Fair

One of our favourite things to do here at Bancroft Wines is to hang out with our wine producers and once a year we get a chance to do that for three full days over the London Wine Fair.

Here's a summary of the show for us this year in pictures.... If you missed out on any of the wines or would like a sample, download, the tech sheets from our website, or get in touch with your Account Manager for more information. Thanks to all those who stopped by our stand to meet the faces behind the labels!

Bancroft's Johnny P and our favourite Mexican, Luis from Remirez de Ganuza (Rioja)

Newbie Trade Sales Simon Newbury and Christina from Lionello Marchesi (Chianti)

Bancroft's Wine fair Maestro, James Wainscott and Raf De Haan from Export Iberia showing off our recently much bolstered Spanish offering.

MEAT the winemakers: South Africans and Sausages

Pieter du Toit (Cederberg) and Kevin Grant (Ataraxia) with butcher extraordinare at MEAT N16

After a day of showing off our wines at this year's annual WOSA wozani tasting, we decided to take our three South African wineries and a group of customers off-piste for something a little more experiential.

Bancroft reaps awards at the DWWA, SWA and IWC 2015

2015 has been a bumper harvest for Bancroft Wines and its growers, reaping golds and silvers left, right and centre at the Decanter World Wine Awards, the International Wine Challenge and the Sommelier Wine Awards. 

David Nieuwoudt (Cederberg, South Africa) in new project with Julio Bouchon in Chile

In the first joint venture of their kind, Julio Bouchon from Chile and David Nieuwoudt, winemaker at Cederberg - one of South Africa’s most prestigious wineries, have teamed up to produce a new wine.

The 2013 Sauvignon Blanc called ‘Longavi’ is the result of three years hard work between Julio Bouchon Lyon and David Nieuwoudt, internationally acclaimed winemaker from South Africa.

Produced at Bouchon’s winery in Chile, the wine is made from selected vineyard parcels in the Leyda Valley. It has a limited production of five thousand bottles and will be available from the Autumn of 2014 in the UK, exclusively through Bancroft Wines.

Julio, David and Julio Bouchon together

Bancroft Bar at London Bridge Open Kitchen

Last night the Bancroft team caused a vinous storm at Team London Bridge's second annual Open Kitchen - an event set up to showcase the best of all things food and drink at the White Cube Gallery from our beloved Bermondsey Street - an area once known as 'London's Larder'.

Bancroft's James W, Sophie, intern Rachael and Rob Allen setting up shop

The wines we had on show

Alongside the Bancroft Bar, the venue played host to restaurants including Hutong, Aqua Shard, Constancia, Village East, The Garrison, Antico and Pizarro.

IWC 2014 medals roll in: two Golds for Schild Estate and Bancroft's other producers

Yesterday Bancroft took part in the IWC Taste of Gold tasting at Lindley Hall in Victoria to present two of our Gold Medal winning wines from Schild Estate and two Silvers from Cederberg.

To a room full of trade and then consumers we were delighted with lots of comments and positive feedback from all who tasted. Co-chairmen Tim Atkin and Oz Clarke included both producers on their Wine Walks later in the evening.

Chief Winemaker Scott Hazeldine from Schild Estate said:

“It’s fantastic to be judged amongst the world’s best and come out shining”

“The International Wine Competition is one of the icon wine shows each year, the stiff competition makes it even harder to stand out so these awards make us very proud”

Congratulations to Schild Estate on their well-deserved Golds, and to Cederberg and the rest of our wineries on their awards too. The full list is here below:

Bancroft Wines at The London Wine Fair: three days in words and pictures

It was one of the busiest week's of the wine trade last week but the Bancroft team worked it with reputable enthusiasm alongside 12 of our esteemed producers who flew in from around the globe to present their wines to the trade.

A great show - cheers!

Sommelier Wine Awards - news just in!

We're delighted to announce that we've won a round of medals in this year's Sommelier Wine Awards, announced today.

The following wines of ours received top praise from the judges:

Cederberg, Sauvignon Blanc, 2013, Cederberg, South Africa 

Gold Medal

Complex yet restrained, this sports an almost Old World balance of flavours on the nose, with herbaceous, grassy notes mixed with citrus fruit. 'The palate is lean and racy, with fine fresh minerality,' said Alan Holmes of The Vineyard at Stockcross. 'This calls for fresh, simple and seasonal food,' said team leader Natasha Hughes, suggesting asparagus and trout with fragrant herbs.

 

 

Remirez de Ganuza, Fincas de Ganuza Reserva 2006 (Rioja) - Silver Medal   

  

 

Pierre Moncuit-Delos, Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut NV - Silver Medal

Cederberg, Ghost Corner Semillon, 2011, Elim, South Africa 

Silver Medal

Toasted and smoky, with herbaceous streaks, this is delicate and complex. 'Racy and elegant, with minerals alongside candied lemon,' said consultant sommelier Nicolas Clerc MS. 'Not necessarily "cool" Semillon, but who cares? Mature with great balance,' said Bread Street Kitchen's Gergely Barsi Szabó.

Cederberg, Ghost Corner Pinot Noir, 2012, Elim, South Africa

Bronze Medal

Savoury notes on the nose carry through to the palate, where forest berries sit alongside smoky tones. 'There's a classic SAFA wildness to it,' said Athila Roos of The Arts Club.

 

 
Cederberg, Ghost Corner The Bowline, 2012, Elim, South Africa
Commended




Isolabella della Croce, Bricco Del Falco, (Piedmont, Italy) Pinot Nero 2009 Commended
  


 
Luigi Bosca, Terroir los Miradores, Uco Valley (Argentina) Malbec 2011 Commended


 
Champagne, Pierre Paillard Grand Cru Brut NV
Commended

Celebrations for Cederberg!

Every year Top Wine SA releases a list exhibiting the leading examples of South African wine. Consistently performing wines are brought before an international, panel of wine experts who taste and judge the wines blind.

Cederberg Wines to be served on South African Airways business class

We are really pleased to hear that Cederberg Chenin Blanc 2012 and Cederberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 will both be served on South African Airways business class flights in 2013!

Cederberg Wines - the range of wines and their Five Generation wines

Cederberg have a fantastic range of wines and here they discuss the range

Cederberg talk us through their flagship wines, named Five Generations (as the farm has been in the family for five generations)

David Nieuwoudt on You Tube - Sauvignon Blanc and Bukkettraube

David Nieuwoudt of Cederberg talks about Bukkettraube

Cederberg Sauvignon Blanc

Cederberg Private Cellars on Biodiversity and Red Soil Types

Pieter Du Toit of Cederberg talks about biodiversity on the farm in the Cederberg Mountains, South Africa

David Nieuwoudt, winemaker at Cederberg, talks about the different soil types in the Cederberg mountains