Three Cape Ladies by Warwick Estate
£17.99
£23.99 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
In Stock — 10 bottles available
A Stellenbosch Cape Blend with serious credentials and a story to match. Pinotage takes the lead, smoky, spicy, unmistakably South African, joined by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc for structure and savoury lift. From the Ratcliffe family's celebrated Warwick Estate, it's a generous, mouth-filling red that celebrates the women shaping South African wine.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
Expert curated
Our Verdict
We keep coming back to Three Cape Ladies because it does something rare, it makes the Cape Blend approachable without dumbing it down. Pinotage on its own can polarise; here it's framed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in a way that wins over sceptics and rewards fans in equal measure. It's become one of our most-ordered Stellenbosch reds, and we understand why. Pour it for a dinner where you want a conversation starter, or send it to a South African friend in the UK who'll instantly recognise what's in the glass.
Tasting Notes
A floral lift opens proceedings, rose petal and sweet cherry drifting over darker notes of plum and blackberry compote. The palate is medium-bodied and generous, layered with dark berry richness, a curious twist of rhubarb tartness, and a mocha smoothness from well-integrated oak. Warm spice threads through the middle, while fine, structured tannins give the wine real backbone. The finish lingers with dark fruit and a savoury, gently spicy echo that keeps you reaching for the glass.
Dark Berry Compote
Layers of blackberry and ripe plum cooked down to a rich, mouth-filling concentration, the wine's deep, generous heart.
Mocha & Oak
Well-integrated oak brings a soft mocha smoothness, lending polish to the fruit without ever overshadowing it.
Rose & Cherry Lift
A floral top note of rose petal and sweet cherry adds Old World charm and an unexpected lift to the bold fruit.
About This Wine
Cape Blends are South Africa's answer to Bordeaux, except the lead role goes to Pinotage, the country's own grape, with classic Cabernet varieties stepping in for backbone and polish. Three Cape Ladies is one of the benchmark examples, and it shows exactly why this style deserves more attention from UK wine drinkers.
Pour it and you get a lifted floral note straight away, rose petal, sweet cherry, a hint of plum. The palate is medium-bodied but generous, layered with dark berry compote, blackberry, and a whisper of rhubarb tang. There's mocha richness from well-integrated oak, a brush of warm spice, and fine tannins that give the wine real shape. It's the kind of red that fills the glass without ever feeling heavy.
The blend, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, is a tribute to the women who have shaped Warwick Estate and South African wine more broadly, starting with Norma Ratcliffe, who taught herself to make wine on this Stellenbosch farm decades ago. That story still runs through every bottle.
Open it with a slow-roasted lamb shoulder, a Sunday rib of beef, or a properly charred sirloin with peppercorn sauce. It also loves aged Cheddar and anything off a charcoal grill. Delivered across the UK, and a thoughtful gift for anyone with a connection to the Cape.
Food Pairing
Built for the table and made for sharing. The fine tannins and dark fruit handle a chargrilled ribeye beautifully, while the wine's medium body and spice notes make it a natural with a slow-cooked oxtail or a rosemary-studded leg of lamb. For something simpler, try it alongside a mature Cheddar ploughman's or a Friday-night burger with caramelised onions.
- —Chargrilled ribeye steak with peppercorn sauce
- —Slow-cooked oxtail stew
- —Rosemary and garlic roast leg of lamb
- —Mature Cheddar with quince paste
- —Beef burger with caramelised onions and aged Gouda
How to Serve
Temperature
Cool room temperature. Pull from the rack about 30 minutes before serving to bring it down from typical UK kitchen warmth.
Decanting
Give it 45 minutes to an hour in a decanter. The fine tannins benefit from air, and the floral rose and cherry top notes really lift once the wine has had a chance to breathe.
Glass
A large-bowled Bordeaux glass suits this blend, room for the dark fruit and floral aromatics to expand and show off.
Cellaring
Store horizontally in a cool, dark spot between 12-15°C with steady humidity. The fine tannin structure means it'll happily age for five to seven years.
Ageing & Cellaring
Drink now for fruit-forward generosity, or tuck a few bottles away for five to seven years. The fine, structured tannins will gradually soften, allowing the dark berry core to deepen and the spice and mocha notes to knit together into something more savoury and complex.
The Winemaking
A Cape blend in the truest sense, Pinotage joined by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, each variety adding its own voice to the conversation. Ageing in oak is judged carefully rather than imposed, integrating into the fruit rather than sitting on top of it. The result is a medium-bodied wine layered with dark berry compote, rhubarb and warm spice, with fine-grained tannins giving it the structure to drink beautifully now or rest in the cellar for a few years yet.