Wine and brandy have a rich history in South Africa, with brandy being distilled from the same grapes that are used in making wine. South African brandies are, by law, made almost the same way as Cognac is made, using a double distillation process in copper pot stills followed by ageing in oak casks for a minimum of three years. The golden spirit is often made from chenin blanc grapes and has been a staple Cape commodity for more than two centuries, having been first made around 1672.
Later this month, Strauss & Co, South Africa’s leading wine and art auction house, will be hosting the Strauss & Co Cape Fine Brandy Auction – the first of its kind in South Africa. Taking place from 6-18 November 2024, the timed-online sale features a definitive selection of the most rare and exceptional aged Cape Fine Brandies, from the depths of South Africa’s greatest distillers.
Senior wine specialist Roland Peens says bespoke casks of Cape Fine Brandy, some two decades and older, have been bottled specifically for Strauss & Co, with each cask containing less than 300 bottles. “Fine spirits have shown huge growth in the global environment, led by single cask whisky, and we see the same opportunity for Cape Fine Brandy.”
Bespoke casks from Boplaas, Kaapzicht, KWV, Joseph Barry, Sydney Back and Van Ryn’s will be auctioned in varying lot sizes to appeal to both trade and private bidders.
Higgo Jacobs, also a senior wine specialist, says that over the past five years, Strauss & Co has been instrumental in building a strong secondary market for fine wine in South Africa.
“Cape Fine Brandy is globally undervalued and offers exceptional value and investment potential. A commercial collective at the top end of our brandies has never been offered in this way. This sale is a first of its kind in South Africa, and Strauss & Co is committed to doing the same for brandy. South African Brandy is world class and deserves to be in the spotlight.”
In 2024, Van Ryn’s 15-Year-Old Potstill Brandy was named World’s Best Wine Brandy at the World Drinks Awards, while KWV was once again highlighted as Best in the World at the International Spirits Challenge.
Strauss & Co has partnered with brandy expert, Shane Mumba, ambassador of the South African Brandy Association, to raise awareness around the auction. “The collaboration is an excellent opportunity for collectors to get their hands on rare, unique, and extremely limited single cask Potstill Brandies,” he says. “They are delicious and may have been blended into bigger batches, but now they are locked in bottle for generations to come.”
The following Cape brandies will be on auction: A Boplaas Single Harvest Potstill Reserve 2005, a Kaapzicht 25-year-old Potstill, KWV Limited-Edition Single Varietal Potstill, the Joseph Barry XXO Single Cask, Sydney Back’s 17- and 22-year-old Potstill, and Van Ryn’s bespoke 14-year-old PX Cask Finish. Rare vintage brandies from Tokara and Groot Constantia and others will also be on auction, including the iconic KWV Centenary Limited Edition and Van Ryn’s Au Ra.
Discover more at straussart.co.za
Strauss & Co Modern & Contemporary November Flagship Auction
- 12 November 2024 at 7pm
- Public Viewing from 28 October at 89 Central Street, Houghton, JHB
