A ‘Major’ Wine Label - Gary Player Wines

June 20, 2008

They say that wine, like golfers, improves with age until it reaches its pinnacle. For Gary Player, with no fewer than 163 victories worldwide during his illustrious career, that pinnacle almost certainly comes in the form of his nine Major championship victories, fourth on the all-time list behind Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Walter Hagen.

Black Knight International, in conjunction with Quoin Rock winery in Stellenbosch have brought out a series of wines to celebrate Player’s incredible achievements, producing a wine in recognition of each of his Major titles, starting with his first win, the British Open at Muirfield in 1959.

The idea to link his achievements with great wines was not Player’s, however, as he is a self-confessed teetotaller, rather the connection comes from Player’s son, Marc, who is CEO of Black Knight International and a wine lover of note.

The first wine in the series, the Muirfield 1959 is, according to winemaker Carl van der Merwe, “not an in-your-face showstopper, but has a restrained yet full palate, with silky tannins and a lingering finish.”

In his view, the blend (38% merlot, 31% cabernet sauvignon, 23% pinotage and 8% shiraz) best expresses the 2003 vintage, which he rates as “one of the better years of the last decade, and showing the most promise.” With correct cellaring, Van der Merwe expects the wine to improve for up to 10 years.

The packaging of the wines features labels by South African artist Athol Moult, who drew inspiration from press clippings and iconic photos of Player during his playing days. The wine will mostly be sold internationally with local sales of about 25 percent of the limited production of 30 000 bottles.

Well, unfortunately I couldn’t make the official launch of the wines but my good friend, fellow wine enthusiast and golf nut Brendan Barratt - who also happens to be the deputy editor of Compleat Golfer  - managed to get me a sample bottle. So I’m sure we’ll have a write up on the wine itself very soon! Thanks to Brendan for the above article.

Posted in Red Wine, Wine News