The second visit in Constantia was Steenberg. Part of the Graham Beck empire, they are one of South Africa’s most celebrated producers, especially well known for their whites (including Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, Semillon and Magna Carta). We met with general manager John Loubser (above) and winemaker JD Pretorius (below).

After tasting some young wines, we had lunch in the fantastic 1682 Bistro, which is superb. [Francois Pienaar, who captained the Springbocks to victory in the 1995 rugby world cup, was at the table next to us.] Along with lunch, we tried some more wines.

I was amazed by the 1995 Sauvignon Blanc. You wouldn’t expect a 16 year old Sauvignon to still be alive, but this was positively fresh and delicious. Amazing stuff. Catharina 2000 was also quite impressive. I also really liked the 2008 Nebbiolo, which I reckon is a serious wine with a great future ahead of it. There’s a bit of oak showing at the moment, but I reckon this is the best non-Italian Nebbiolo that I’ve experienced.