Naturally we began with some bubbly: a bottle of Groot Constantia Methode Cap Classique made from 100% Chardonnay which I brought back on the plane from SA. It offered lovely rich lees-y notes and hints of fig and pear. Due to a New Year's resolution my sommelier buddy Kurt (below, with nose in glass) and I shared to "drink more sparkling wine this year," the MCC shared the ice bucket with a Hermann J. Wiemer 2003 Blanc de Noir and a sparkling Vouvray, but it stood up quite well!
For our grilled sweet and sour shrimp course I opened a white from one of my favorite South African wineries, in my possession courtesy of the good people at Cape Classics: Rustenberg 2007 Five Soldiers Chardonnay. Showing a nose of apple peel and caramelized banana (like a starter for Bananas Foster) with a layered palate and restrained buttery signs of malolactic fermentation, it was a phenomenal pairing.
Kurt's answer to my request for braai was a phenomenal grilled rack of lamb, pictured above, with which we brought out the big guns: Muratie 2008 Pinot Noir and Merlot. The pinot was oaky with nice fruit, but the merlot was the real stunner and held my wine buddies' attention with its earthy, fleshy grip and complexity. I'm always interested in which of my favorite SA wines will be most interesting to my New York-based friends, and on this night Muratie Merlot was the hands-down winner.
At this point I stopped taking tasting notes (I'm only human, folks) but we finished off the night in style with Buitenverwachting Rough Diamond (an intriguing malbec/petit verdot blend) followed by a lovely, delicate, deliciously acidic Kanu Kia-Ora Noble Late Harvest Chenin Blanc. These amazing wines portended a 24th year filled with good friends, good food, and great memories - it might not have been South Africa, but it felt pretty damn close.
Recent Comments