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| mi-vine(m) Producer |
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| WINES are listed alphabetical, view detailed vintage information by clicking on the WINE name. |
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| Warwick Estate | Wines |
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Warwick wine estate was known as the farm Good Success from 1791 until 1902. After the Anglo Boer war, Colonel Alexander Gordon from Warwickshire regiment bought the farm and renamed it Warwick as a tribute to his regiment.
In 1964 the farm was purchased by Stan & Norma Ratcliffe, at the ... |
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| About | Warwick Estate |
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Warwick wine estate was known as the farm Good Success from 1791 until 1902. After the Anglo Boer war, Colonel Alexander Gordon from Warwickshire regiment bought the farm and renamed it Warwick as a tribute to his regiment.
In 1964 the farm was purchased by Stan & Norma Ratcliffe, at the time there was not a single vine on the farm. However, Stan and Norma Ratcliffe soon realized the potential of the terroir and began planting Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet Sauvignon vines gave high quality grapes, which were soon in demand from wholesalers and other wineries.
After delivering the grapes to other wineries for years Stans wife Norma started making wine in 1984. Norma was educated in Canada and learned winemaking in France. With her good spirit and determination Norma quickly became known as one of the best winemakers in the country. She was certainly one of the first female winemakers.
The farm today is still very much a family affair. After 20 years as Warwicks winemaker, Norma stepped down and she was succeeded by Louis Nel who is widely considered to be one of the most talented winemakers in South Africa. In 2001, Mike Ratcliffe, Stan and Normas son assumed the role of Managing Director.
Warwick specialises in the Bordeaux varieties and in 1987 introduced the blend known as Trilogy. This wine enjoys popularity to this day as the estates flagship wine. Cabernet Franc which forms an integral part of the blend is also bottled on its own. Three Cape Ladies, a Cape blend comprising Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinotage was chosen in position #71 on the Wine Spectator Top 100 wines of the year for 2004. Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Pinotage are also part of the portfolio.
The Ratcliffe family quietly celebrated a coming of age (their 21st Vintage) with the re-introduction of a limited release Cab called Stansfield, in honour of late father/founder Stan Ratcliffe.
Planning for this season started as usual as they completed the previous harvest. Each operation, from fertilizing and pruning through canopy control, thinning and harvest was carefully thought out. The aim at Warwick Estate, as always, was to grow the best wine possible.
They decided to treat vines individually and not use blanket recipes. This required enormous labour and management inputs. Each vine was given separate attention to maximise potential. Harvesting alone was a huge undertaking. They sampled and picked small numbers of vines out separately. These small batches of grapes were then vinified on their own.
There was plenty of sun throughout the season and the newly installed drip irrigation allowed them to "let the grapes hang", which was the motto for the season. Full, rich flavours were the reward. |
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