The Signature 2016

Provenance

The late David Brice was a respected wine connoisseur, collector and co-founder of Wine Cellar, fine wine merchants. His lifelong passion for wine from all corners of the world wine, and generosity, helped develop a culture of fine wine in South Africa and beyond. Always with value and authenticity in mind, the collection spans a wide range of styles from leading producers and diverse regions. The wines were professionally imported under refrigeration and carefully stored at Wine Cellar thereafter. Many of the producers are not available in South Africa and provide an excellent buying opportunity.

David celebrated the variation of vintage but also took advantage of great vintages. Over the last 10 years the 2016s have proven to be one of the greatest modern-day Bordeaux vintages, on par or superior to the likes of 2010, 2009 or 2005. Across Bordeaux, the wines are structured and pure combining exotic notes and sweet fruit. As part of our annual 10-year auction, we showcase 2016 Bordeaux vintage which will delight over many decades, especially in large format. David also bought the highly regarded Italian vintage, which produced exceptional wines in Piedmont and Tuscany especially.

For more detailed information on the lots, please feel free to contact Roland Peens (roland@winecellar.co.za). Roland spent many years sharing and enjoying these wines with David Brice and is happy to provide further insight into the collection.

Critics Ratings

‘Cool summer and autumn nights tempered warm days in 2016, producing great intensity to the iodine and espresso-edged nose and palate here. With silky blackberry and currant, fleshier mulberry and refreshing blood plum, the palate is motile, its juicy persistence a foil to the creamy, savoury oak (French barriques, Hungarian and American hogsheads, 28% new) and dynamic snare of ripe but present tannins. A fitting tribute to Yalumba's chief winemaker, Louisa Rose. 2020-2036’ - Sarah Ahmed, Decanter, 96/100 (Nov 2020)

‘A very youthful vintage, this is taut and will age very well. Aromas of blackcurrants, tar, blackberries and baking spices lead to a palate that has such an intense, gently smoky thread with a succulent, juicy red-plum, berry and spice finish. Light espresso. Super long-aging Signature here. Try from 2024.’ - James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, 96/100

‘Aged in a mix of barriques and hogsheads (28% new), it offers up scents of cherry, cassis and tobacco, with grace notes of cedar and vanilla. Medium to full-bodied, it's concentrated, silky, streamlined and long on the finish—very much a classic claret style despite the high proportion of Shiraz. Each year's edition of the wine is dedicated to a notable Yalumba employee; the 2016 is dedicated to Chief Winemaker Louisa Rose. 2021 - 2035.’ - Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate, 94/100 (Feb 2021)

‘Inky ruby. Highly perfumed cherry, cassis, tobacco, vanilla and exotic spice scents take on a spicy nuance with air. Pliant and expansive in the mouth, offering concentrated red and dark fruit, floral pastille, allspice and mocha flavors that show impressive depth as well as energy. Closes broad, smooth and extremely long, with polished tannins and resonating spiciness and florality. 2024-2034.’ - Josh Raynolds, Vinous, 94/100 (Jan 2021)

‘The latest release of this wine honors the company's chief winemaker of 30 years, Louisa Rose. This is a lucid, multilayered wine that shows notes of dark cherry, currant, chocolate, mint, bay and peppery spices smudged with graphite. The palate is big and rich but tempered by fine, chalky tannins, with a tang to the fruit and an underbelly of roast meat.’ - Christina Pickard, Wine Enthusiast, 94/100 (Jul 2021)