Kanonkop Estate, Pinotage, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2022

Overview of the Wine
With a reputation for producing some of the Cape’s finest red wines, the heralded Kanonkop Estate is often referred to as a South African "First Growth." The fourth generation family farm, presently run by brothers Johann and Paul Krige, has been owned and operated by the Sauer-Krige family since the early 1930s. The name Kanonkop is derived from a "kopje" (small hill) on the property, from which a cannon was fired in the 17th century to announce the arrival of the Dutch East India Company’s trading ships at Table Bay.

Kanonkop boasts some of the Cape’s first commercially planted Pinotage vines, with an average age of over 50 years. Respecting tradition while embracing the future, Kanonkop fuses age-old wine-making techniques with state-of-the art technology. All of the estate’s grapes are handpicked and sorted. The wines are vinified in open concrete fermenters, using manual punchdowns, and are subsequently aged in French Nevers oak barrels.

Kanonkop continues its long history of excellence under Abrie Beeslaar, winemaker at the estate since 2002. In addition to garnering regular 90+ ratings for his bottlings in such publications as Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, Beeslaar was crowned the 2008 International Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London, where Kanonkop also received the Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande trophy for the best blended red wine with its Paul Sauer 2003 and the Dave Hughes Trophy for Best South African Producer. In addition, Kanonkop was named "Winery of the Year" and its Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 earned "Wine of the Year" in the 2009 edition of John Platter’s South African Wine Guide – widely recognized as the most authoritative and comprehensive guide on the world of South African wine. Kanonkop Wine Estate was also named the "Most Admired Wine Brand in South Africa" and listed at #32 on the “Most Admired Wine Brands in the World" by #DrinksInternational in 2020.

Winemaker
Abrie Beeslaar

Grape / Blend
100% Pinotage

Origin
Stellenbosch, South Africa

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Opaque purple red colour. Bold plums, blackberries, mulberries, rich vanilla, layers of smoke, and roasted nut the nose. Followed by a palate packed with plums, cherries, black figs, pomegranate, dark chocolate, blackberries and spicy oak, The beautifully integrated plush, creamy tannins teams with satisfying acidity resulting in a wonderfully balanced wine with and a long finish, promising a great maturation potential. 

Pairs well with pizza, pasta, barbequed meat, venison stew, beef or lamb burgers, and Thai cuisine.

93 Points - Tim Atkin
Made by a man who understands Pinotage better than anyone, Abrie Beeslaar’s red is good to drink now but will also develop in bottle. Comfortably handling its 80% new wood, it has notes of Asian spices and toast, succulent blackberry and cherry fruit, refreshing acidity and a stony, mineral core. 2024-30

Product size: 750ml