The First Lady Pinotage

This Pinotage pairs well with barbecued pork belly, grilled venison, or sticky pork belly. Its bright fruit and subtle spice complement these rich, savory dishes.

The grapes for this wine are sourced from vineyards in the Western Cape region, known for its diverse terroir and favorable conditions for Pinotage cultivation. The 2023 vintage benefited from optimal ripening conditions, contributing to the wine's expressive fruit profile.

The wine was aged for 14 months using various types of oak, none of which were new. This approach added structure and body without overpowering the rich and juicy Pinotage flavors.

After harvesting, the grapes were destemmed and underwent fermentation in tanks, spending between 7 and 14 days on the skins, depending on the desired tannin structure. During this period, three to four pump-overs per day were conducted to ensure optimal extraction. Post-fermentation, the wine underwent malolactic fermentation in tanks.

Warwick Estate lies in a valley enclosed by the Simonsberg Kanonkop and Klapmutskop. Originally part of a vast piece of land known as Good Success this eighteenth century farm belonged to Colonel Alexander Gordon who renamed his portion in honour of the Warwickshire regiment which he commanded during the Boer War. Years later in 1964 Stan Ratcliffe bought Warwick where with considerable foresight he began planting the precious Cabernet Sauvignon vines which are still a major part of the production today. These vines produced high quality grapes and became highly sought after by wholesalers and other wineries. However it took the arrival of Norma Ratcliffe Stan's beautiful and energetic wife in 1971 for the family to begin making a few experimental wines from Cabernet Sauvignon. The early results were very encouraging and served to extol the virtues of what is surely some of the best terroir in South Africa. Michael Ratcliffe Norma's son has now taken over as proprietor in Stan's retirement and has wasted no time in stamping his personality on the Estate. A host of new innovative techniques learnt during his postgraduate wine studies in Australia are being implemented aimed at maximizing the potential of the Warwick terroir. Under Michael's leadership the Warwick team is striving to take the next step in quality.