Warwick:
Warwick Estate is a high-end South African winery in the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. The estate has a rich farming history dating back to 1771. Then a fruit farm, Warwick only emerged on the forefront of South Africa’s wine scene when Stan and Norma Ratcliffe bought the estate in 1964 and started developing the land with an extensive focus on the classic Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Through determination and commitment, Norma Ratcliffe became one of the Cape’s first female winemakers – and one of its most illustrious wine personalities, whose legacy is immortalised in the Warwick “First Lady” range.
VARIETAL: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
WINEMAKING: Grapes are picked at optimal ripeness and transported to the cellar and de-stemmed into tank. The wines spent between 7 and 14 days on the skins depending on the tannin structure, with three or four pump overs per day and then pressed to undergo malolactic fermentation in tank. After completion the wine was aged for 18 months with various types of oak used, none new, before blending and a light filtration and bottling in November 2018.
FOOD PAIRING: Barbecued flank steak. Wild mushroom risotto.
ANALYSIS:
Alc: 13.72%
RS: 3.0
TA: 5.7
PH: 3.52