Warwick Three Cape Ladies South Africa 2002

Tonight's dinner began with delicious smoked salmon "sandwiches" - smoked salmon, microgreens, and sprouts sandwiched between thin crisps of baguette with lemon-caper creme fraiche. Our entree was grilled tri-tip sirloin, sliced, and served with glazed mini-yukon gold potatoes.

We had been waiting to try the Warwick for a couple of weeks. Stephanie purchased the '01 for our cellar - it was to be her very first vertical - and although she didn't know it, the wine received considerable praise. When we went to buy the new '02, we noticed that Wine Spectator had given it a rather bad score (82 points, if memory serves me correctly), so instead of purchasing our normal alotment, we grabbed a single bottle to evaluate. I was quite pleased with the wine and its pairing. The aroma began with decided bacon notes from a lavish amount of oak, but with the steak, the wine was in pleasant balance. The finish was a bit severe for my palate, although it might soften with a couple of years in the cellar. Stephanie's tasting experience was marred by a fly who wished to join us but who ended up in her glass and eventually her mouth. Trooper that she is, she recovered sufficiently to detect brown sugar and baked beans on the aroma and palate. As South African wines go, this one is not the cheapest (~$25), but I think it shows promise for short-term cellaring. Warwick's wines certainly tend more towards the Australian model than the French. This is not, however, a wine for cocktail parties or casual sipping - have a nice meal.