Kanonkop Pinotage 2021

Kanonkop Pinotage, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2021

Grape: 100% Pinotage, 67 year old unirrigated bush vines grown on decomposed granite (Hatton & Clovelly) soils, yield 32.5hl/ha, 16 months in oak (80% new, 20% second fill)

Bright purple-red colour. Bold aromas of plums, blackberries, hints of liquorice and tar, layers of smoke, roasted nuts and rich vanilla on the nose. The palate is packed with flavours of plums, cherries, black figs, dark chocolate, blackberries and spicy oak. The beautifully integrated plush, creamy tannins with satisfying acidity result in a wonderfully balanced wine with a long finish, promising great maturation potential.

Fermentation took place in open concrete fermenters at 28°C. The cap was punched down manually every 2 hours and the juice was drawn off the skins after 3 days. The wine was matured for 16 months in 225L French Nevers oak barrels – 80% new and 20% 2nd-fill.

Kanonkop is situated on the lower slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain in Stellenbosch, from where it produces award-winning wines. A fourth generation family estate, it was originally purchased by JW Sauer (a cabinet member in the parliament of the Union of South Africa) and has been in the family ever since, now in the talented hands of its current owners Paul and Johann Krige and winemaker Abrie Beeslaar. 

Listed as a ‘first growth’ by Master of Wine, Tim Atkin, Kanonkop is famed for its red wines, particularly Pinotage, which makes up 50% of vineyard plantings, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon (35%), Merlot (7.5%) and Cabernet Franc. The name Kanonkop was derived from a kopje (hillock), from which a cannon was fired in the 17th century to alert farmers in outlying areas that sailing ships plying the waters between Europe and the Far East had entered Table Bay for a stopover at Cape Town. Paul Sauer 2015 is the first South African wine to be awarded 100 points in Tim Atkin MW’s South African Report.

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"A delightful and juicy wine, the 2021 Pinotage offers a ripe and fleshy expression of black raspberry, spiced plums and dark cherry skin with elegant oak spices and dusty florals with a soft, lingering potpourri essence. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is fresh and red-fruited with succulent acidity and fine-grained tannins that lift the mid-palate while displaying plenty of toasted oak essence. This Pinotage is gorgeous as it offers layers of attractive fruit and oak before gliding to a graceful, food-friendly finish. While it's still primary, this will undoubtedly improve with additional bottle age. About 70,000 bottles were filled after the wine matured for a year and a half in 80% new French oak. Nicely done!" Drink 2024-2036

91+/100 points, Anthony Mueller, WINE ADVOCATE, December 2023

Also awarded 94/100 points by Tim Atkin MW, March 2023

Drink with aromatic curries, barbequed venison and beef, grilled game fish such as tuna, roast duck with berry sauce and pork belly.