Blackberry leaf, cassis and plum skin all dance on the nose of this wine, with supporting accents of singed herbs, tobacco leaf and cedar. The medium-weight palate is like crushed velvet in texture, with ripe black-fruit flavors framed by plush yet structuring tannins and ample acidity that lends some lift along with the grip of the close.\n \n Producer Information\n Kanonkop Estate is a South African red wine producer located on the low slopes of the Simonsberg Mountains, between Stellenbosch and Paarl. It is famous for being one of the first producers to grow and vinify Pinotage, the country's signature grape variety. The estate also makes red wines from the classic Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Kanonkop Estate was established in 1973 on plots of land that had some old Pinotage vines growing on them. The estate takes its name from the hills, or kopje in Afrikaans, which surround the area, and from the cannons that were found in the hills in the 17th Century. Simonsberg is known as the "red wine bowl" of South Africa, with long summer days, cooling sea breezes and ideal soils for red wine varieties. Black Label Pinotage is the flagship wine which can age for up to 30 years. It is made from a single plot which was planted in 1953. The Estate range is made solely from older vineyards on the Kanonkop estate. The wines are are designed for extended maturation. They comprise varietal Pinotage and Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Paul Sauer blend of the three principal Bordeaux varieties mentioned above. The Kadette range is made from fruit sourced from contract growers in the Stellenbosch region. The wines are made in a softer, fruiter style for earlier consumption. The lineup includes a Pinotage rosé, a Cape Blend (this designation requires at least 30 percent Pinotage alongside the Bordeaux grapes), plus further single variety wines from Pinotage and Cabernet Sauvignon. Half of the 95 hectares (235 acres) under vine are Pinotage vines, many of which are at least 50 years old. These are all bush vines, trained to allow for optimum levels of sunlight to reach the grapes, bringing them to maximum ripeness. The remaining vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon (35 percent), Merlot and Cabernet Franc (both 7.5 percent). All grape clusters (estate or contract grown) are de-stalked and go through a sorting machine, vibrating table and computer-controlled optical sorter. All of Kanonkop's wines are fermented in wide, open-top concrete vats, which allow for maximum skin contact and extraction from the grapes. Manual punchdowns are used on the Estate range, while the process is automated for the Kadette wines. The wines are then aged, bottled, labeled and cellared on site. The kadette wines are matured in older 225-liter French oak barrels for 12 months. This figure rises to 18 to 24 months for the Estate range, with all new oak.
