Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage 2017

Region:  Simonsberg, Stellenbosch

Kanonkop is a 4th generation family-owned estate, which has been handed down from generation to generation and is now in the hands of brothers Paul and Johann Krige. The name Kanonkop is derived from a hillock (kop) on the Simonsberg mountain above the estate from where, during the 17th and 18th centuries, a cannon (kanon) was fired to announce the arrival of sailing ships entering Table Bay. The roar of the cannon would be the signal to local farmers, who were waiting to make the 50-kilometer journey to the harbour, to load up their wagons with fresh fruit and vegetables to barter their produce.
The first wines bearing the Kanonkop label were produced in 1973. To wine lovers familiar with the centuries old châteaux and domaines of Bordeaux and Burgundy respectively, the winemaking history of our estate may seem surprisingly young. For 1973 was the year in which Kanonkop’s contention for a place in the annals of South African wine greatness began, just three years before the death of the man to whom the wine estate owes everything it has achieved and all the recognition it has attained: Paul Sauer.

Cultivar:  100% Pinotage

Tasting Note:

Winemaker Abrie Beeslaar crafted this wine from the grapes of very old bush vines. A single Pinotage vineyard planted in 1953 is the birthplace of this prized red wine. The majestic old vines offer small berries with extremely concentrated flavours. After fermentation, the wine is placed in new French oak barrels where it ages for 18 months prior to bottling. Dense with dark fruit and black cherry, the wine is sleek and muscular with a luxurious and beguiling presence on the palate. Eminently accessible, this regal wine will age magnificently for 30 years from vintage. First vintage: 2006