2017 Kanonkop, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Critics reviews
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon has a glorious, feisty bouquet of blackberry, wild strawberry and cassis aromas that burst from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a silky-smooth texture and a cohesive, poised finish that is irresistible. Simply a top-class Cabernet Sauvignon. 2021 - 2036
Neal Martin, vinous.com
The quality of the Paul Sauer alerted us to the fact that this was a special vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon on the farm and this wine supplies further proof. Sourced from six parcels, it has elegant 50% new wood, violet, liquorice and fynbos aromas, svelte tannins, graphite and blackcurrant leaf flavours and a volatile lift. 2024-32
Tim Atkin MW
This certainly is a deep, broody exotic expression of Cabernet Sauvignon that is more reminiscent of a cool vintage Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon than anything from Bordeaux or the Cape. Opened and tasted over 4 to 5 hours, the wine hits its stride surprisingly quickly with plenty of perfumed purple flowers, violets, bruleed black berries, baked blueberry crumble, crème de cassis and a pleasing note of mocha and vanilla pod spice. Initial notes of kelp and maritime seashore salinity quickly give way to a more weighty, sensual melange of black berry compote nuances and hints of cherry kirsch liquor. While this wine certainly shows all the deft elegance and finesse we associate with the 2017 vintage, it also displays a certain extra gravitas, power and weight of fruit concentration combined with great poise, density and a seamlessly textured mineral graphite finish. This is a dark horse that will drink well on release and age deceptively well for 20+ years.
Greg Sherwood MW
About this WINE
Kanonkop
Kanonkop was part of the Uitkyk farm and the inheritance of the former South African Prime Minister Paul Sauer. Today the estate is owned by his grandsons and is synonymous with Pinotage. The grape, which is a crossing between Cinsault and Pinot Noir, was planted for the very first time in this farm.
Kanokop winemaker Beyers Truter is South Africa`s Pinotage king. Beyers has been known to state that, were he not married to his wife Esme, he'd be married to Pinotage. He uses fruit from mature bush vines and exposes the wine to high amounts of new oak in maturation. Beyers Truter produces wine that rival the very best in the world. For the quality, they are ridiculously good value for money.
Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch is South Africa’s best-known wine region, producing a wide variety of wines from leading estates, even though it accounts for less than 20 per cent of the country’s total production. Designated wards within the wine region are Jonkershoek Valley, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, Bottelary, Devon Valley and Papegaaiberg.
At 17,500 hectares, Stellenbosch remains the Cape's most famous and important fine wine district, thanks to its proximity to Cape Town, to the cooling influences of False Bay, its mountainous (ie Helderberg, Simonsberg), granitic topography and its centres of learning such as Elsenburg Agricultural College.
It's notable for the refinement of its Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, especially from the likes of Glenelly Estate, Keermont Vineyards Oldenburg Vineyards, Raats Family and Anwilka
Cabernet Sauvignon
The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.
It is adaptable to a wide range of soils, although it performs particularly well on well-drained, low-fertile soils. It has small, dusty, black-blue berries with thick skins that produce deeply coloured, full-bodied wines with notable tannins. Its spiritual home is the Médoc and Graves regions of Bordeaux where it thrives on the well-drained gravel-rich soils producing tannic wines with piercing blackcurrant fruits that develop complex cedarwood and cigar box nuances when fully mature.
The grape is widely planted in California where Cabernet Sauvignon based wines are distinguished by their rich mixture of cassis, mint, eucalyptus and vanilla oak. It is planted across Australia and with particular success in Coonawarra where it is suited to the famed Terra Rossa soil. In Italy barrique aged Cabernet Sauvignon is a key component in Super Tuscans such as Tignanello and Sassicaia, either on its own or as part of a blend with Sangiovese.
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Description
2017, a third drought vintage in a row, has turned out a beautiful set of wines from Kanonkop. 24 months in a blend of new and used French oak as is standard here. Cassis, black cherry and mocha – classically Cabernet. The tannins are robust and ripe – I’ll be giving this a couple of years after it arrives. Serve with the usual fare – steaks, chops, stews and dare I suggest the obvious, braai.
Fergus Stewart, Private Client Manager, Berry Bros & Rudd
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