Ataraxia Chardonnay Top of the Class - Decanter Panel Tasting

We are delighted to announce that the Ataraxia Chardonnay 2015 leads the field in Decanter's rather impressive South African Chardonnay Panel Tasting, published yesterday in Decanter Magazine. Across a panel of three MWs, Kevin Grant's fabulous Hemel-en-Aarde Chardonnay garnered a score of 96 points meaning that it is officially Outstanding!

Huge congratulations to Kevin Grant and the team at Ataraxia! The tasting very much encompassed the who's who of South African Chardonnay, so this is no mean feat. This wine is no stranger to great press scores, with previous vintages receiving high praise as well, but we are delighted to see the 2015 being recognised so decisively as a result of a blind tasting by an expert panel.

Bancroft Wines at SITT Spring Tastings 2017

We sent teams to both SITT Spring events, in Manchester on Monday 27th February and London on Wednesday 1st March, and had a marvelous time showcasing our selected wines to visitors, both familiar and new. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to taste with us - we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Some members of the Bancroft team at SITT London

Below is a list of all of the bottles that made an appearance on our table at both events, including some new listings:

Sparkling

Champagne Gratiot-Pillière Tradition Brut NV

Lambrusco di Modena, Cantina della Volta 2009

White

Grillo, Il Folle 2015

Hartenberg Riesling 2014

Cheninsolite, Alex Cady 2014

Sin Palabras Albariño, Adegas Castro Brey 2015

Garnatxa Blanca, Herència Altés

Sa Fita, Es Fangar 2015

Ribolla, Marjan Simčič 2015

Ataraxia Chardonnay 2015

Red

Saumur Champigny Tuffe, Chateau du Hureau 2012

Elena Walch Pinot Nero 2015

Garnatxa Negra, Herència Altés 2015

Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz, Hartenberg 2013

Cotes-du-Rhone Reserve Rouge, Domaine de Grand Veneur 2015

The tempting line-up

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. 

Decanter magazine rates Ataraxia Chardonnay 'Outstanding' and calls Serenity a 'Must-try' Red in top 20 wines under £25

New-to the Bancroft list in 2014, Ataraxia is sweeping the floor in Decanter Magazine. Kevin's wines are so hot right now you can barely touch them!

Kebab Wines: Ataraxia Chardonnay

A little off-centre but we love Zeren Wilson's latest guest post on what to match with Kebabs on Fiona Beckett's Matching Food and Wine blog.

Here's what Zeren had to say, recommending wines to the following: Adana Kebab, Chicken Shish, Lamb Shish, Quail and Lamb belly.

“I enjoyed a white that sailed through every course without flinching in the face of the assault of smoke, meat, spice and fat-slicked fingers. This accolade fell to Ataraxia Chardonnay 2012, from South Africa, made by husband and wife team Kevin and Hanli Grant. A modern barrel-fermented Chardonnay with plenty of elegance alongside the heft of New World fruit.”

Read the full article here...

Ataraxia appoints Bancroft Wines as exclusive UK importer

We're delighted to announce that Bancroft Wines has been appointed Ataraxia's new, exclusive UK importer.

As one of South Africa's premier Estates, cited as 'one to watch' by Tim Atkin in his most recent wine report on South Africa, this is great news for all at Bancroft and our customers, and will bolster our already strong South African suit in a harmonious manner. We are looking forward to working with such an esteemed producer.

Ataraxia winemaker and owner, Kevin Grant comments:

“After much homework as to who could best represent Ataraxia, Bancroft Wines easily ticked all the boxes. I am looking forward to a most fruitful partnership with Bancroft Wines to the benefit of our existing and new clients.”

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:

Hartenberg Estate wins International Trophy / Best in Show at the DWWA 2014

Last night Hartenberg won Best in Show for their Bordeaux Varietal under £15 at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

The official review describes the wine as follows:

"Bursting with cassis, dark berries and plums, with plenty of fruit sweetness, this is a wine with no hard edges and a world away from some of leafy green Bordeaux blends at this price level. Cedar notes on the nose lead to a rounded, smooth palate, with sweet tobacco, vanilla, spicy oak and genteel hedgerow touches."

Along with Hartenberg and winemaker Carl Schultz, we are thrilled that this wine has made the best in show - winning an International Trophy is a fantastic achievement. Only 33 wines out of over 15,000 entries won an International Trophy – that’s just 0.22%.

Bancroft's Neil McAndrew and Sophie McLean accepting the award on Hartenberg's behalf

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!

Cederberg Private Cellar scoops top awards at SAWi (South African Wine Index)

Peter du Toit from Cederberg reports:

 

During holiday season, you might find yourself around the dinner table discussing your favourite wine of the year. Soon enough discussions will become heated and propensity to agree will wane.

Cederberg win 8 medals in the IWSC 2013 Awards, including 3 "Silver Oustanding"

Cederberg have added more medals to their repertoire with 8 medals being awarded at the IWSC 2013 awards.

Hartenberg collects 14 medals in the IWSC Awards 2013!

Hartenberg Estate (Stellenbosch, South Africa) has been awarded 14 medals for their entries into the IWSC awards 2013. 

Ghost Corner wins International Sauvignon award in the Decanter World Wine Awards!

It was the Decanter World Wine Awards last night, a much anticipated event in the wine trades' calendar and the wine trade was out in force. Alex and Neb represented Bancroft and our wineries who had won an award. Alex was representing Ghost Corner and Neb represented Marjan Simcic. These producers had both won gold and regional medals in their categories. However Alex had the great honour of also collecting the International Award for Sauvignon over £15 for the Ghost Corner Sauvignon 2012.

Carl celebrates his 20th Harvest at Hartenberg Estate

The monumental task of keeping anything, anything at all that happens at Hartenberg a secret from Carl fell on us when we decided to organise a surprise party for him to mark this feat shared by very few cellar masters. After many stealthy arrangements and bare-faced lies we successfully kept him in the dark and he was duly surprised to see friends, family and colleagues hiding in the underground cellar.

Cederberg wins the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2013 – Best Sauvignon Blanc

We are pleased to announce that Cederberg Wines has been awarded the Sauvignon Blanc trophy at the Old Mutual Trophy Awards 2013 for its Cederberg Sauvignon Blanc 2012.

  

Cederberg award success

Cederberg has recently done very well at various International Wine Awards.

Gold and regional trophy for Ghost Corner Sauvignon at the Decanter Awards

David Nieuwoudt Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc 2012 has won the Decanter World Wine Award Regional Trophy – South African Sauvignon Blanc above fifteen pounds - at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2013.

Cederberg Sauvignon Blanc 2012 wins Gold

The Cederberg Sauvignon Blanc 2012 has won Gold at the annual International Sauvignon Blanc competition (Concours Mondial du Sauvignon 2013) for the second year in a row!