2004 Guardian Peak Shiraz - wine review

I opened this dust-covered bottle the other night to accompany thyme scented lamb burgers. Guardian Peak is a South African wine produced outside of Stellenbosch in the beautiful Cape Winelands. If you'd rather skip the review and head out on a wine and food adventure to the Cape Winelands instead, give us a call to plan your trip.

Alarmed after reading that it was meant to be consumed within 4 years, I nevertheless soldiered on. Wine almost always benefits from decanting, whether in a decanter or a large glass, and it did so in this case as well. The new-world style wine was perfect with the lamb. It had a faint smokiness reminiscent of Pinotage, but it was subtle rather than overwhelming. It was velvety smooth and had a soft finish with few to no tannins. It has a deep burgundy hue and was made for drinking with food. The winemakers suggested a Cape Malay curry, which would no doubt be delicious, but it wasn't on the menu in my kitchen that night.

If you have an '04 gathering dust in your basement (I expect the vintage to be unavailable for sale at this stage), I'd open it now. It's probably not going to improve further, but you're definitely not too late. Gesondheid!

Photos courtesy Gretchen Healey