A fantastic lunch, one of the best in fact. Thanks to all who made it so enjoyable. I haven laughed so much in ages.
The stunning wines…
2002 Bereche
OK not a SA sparkler but this was a crisp, elegant, fresh (a mixture of all 3 permitted grapes apparently) & an incredibly apple dominated grower fizz with touches of brioche & grapefruit. I thought this to be a delicious alternative to cider & thanks for bringing this Ray, with I mean that with all sincerity! 
2006 Boekenhoutskloof Semillon
100% Semillon but it does taste that there is a dollop of SB in the blend with its stunning elegant fruit showing crisp melon, white currant, citrus oil, grapefruit, touches of vanilla & an interesting grassiness with oak hints. My glass didn’t last long at all but apparently this wine evolved nicely over a few hours. I loved this & want more.
2006 Raats ‘Wooded’ Chenin Blanc
I love this wine & at the price (£16 down to a tenner) is marvelous value. Tropical fruits, a cleansing citrus hit, spice & honey here. The fruit on the palate is incredibly clean, refreshing & pure. A delicious wine sold at the same price as the Raats ‘Original’ Chenin Blanc.
2003 & 2006 Mulderbosch Barrel Fermented Chardonnay(s)
Both of these were very rich, spicy with buttery oak, tropical fruit, melon, apple & a slight citrus tang to it at the end - again the purity is amazing. A very consistent house style & other than the 03 was slightly yellowier & richer I didn’t have a preference for either. I’d drink both vintages very happily! Stunning Chards.
2003 & 2006 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah(s)
These are bambinos! Both wines on the nose are huge, rich, backward and highly extracted with molten tar, spices galore and again a stunning fruit purity with their massive, massive tannins, mouth puckering acidity masking the amazingly rich dark bitter chocolate tinged black fruits. Not pleasant to drink now I’m convinced they will turn the corner from the ugly duckling to a beautiful swan. Lock these away!
2000 Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon
I’m not a fan of Cabernet, except those good quality ones from South Africa – they never disappoint. This was no exception even with the cigar box/cedar element I loath I was drawn to this wine – maybe the Cab Franc helped here. Just at the beginning of it’s plateau of maturity it gave the classic Cab Sauv nose with damp earth, flowers, blackberries, cassis & a rather interesting roasted meat aspect. Silky tannins & a long finish. Delicious.
1999 & 2000 Meerlust Rubicon
These were wonderful wines & what an improvement from the very disappointing 2004 I had a few months back. Another great house style showing. The ’99 is slightly backward, tannic, bottle with more acidity, and a huge muscular wine. The ’00 shows fine power & elegance too with its cassis, flower, liquorice & lead pencil. Again this is a powerful, tannic & loaded Cabernet. Again I would drink either of these with joy. Great wines.
1999 Kanonkop Estate Paul Sauer
Is this the first bit of burnt rubber here? If there was it blow off & turned into another stunning SA cab blend although the cigar box/cedar combo if the most over powering of the 4 Bordeaux blends we had, for me. Underneath all that it showed plum, black currant, incense with touches of tar & pepper. Notes were a bit vague at this point but a good wine.
2008 Mullineux Chenin Blanc Straw Wine
A strange nail polish nose on this so not sure if this was a faulty bottle. The nose was delicious with honey, apricot & marmalade under the VA from what I could tell. The bottle on the other table was purer & didn’t have the VA we had. The palate, however, was highly enjoyable, fresh & rich with spicy yellow fruits and a creamy texture & good intensity but slightly lacking acidity, so I’m not sure if we had a poor bottle. Well worth trying & I’ll revisit when I see a bottle.
2007 Paul Cluver Noble Late Harvest Weisser Riesling
My WOTD! A beautifully clean wine with a precision & purity I wasn’t expecting. Tropical fruits, apricots, peach, honey & mineral. The perfect food & wine match with today pud! Jono very kingly went back to his shop & sought back a couple more bottles. Thanks Jono!