Kanonkop Pinotage

It says it all that South Africa expert Tim Atkin MW names Kanonkop estate as a 'first growth', emulating the language used to rank Bordeaux's very top properties.

Kanonkop is a 4th generation family-owned wine estate, which has been handed down from generation to generation. The name Kanonkop is derived from a hillock (kop) on the Simonsberg mountain above the wine estate from where, during the 17th and 18th centuries, a cannon (kanon) was fired to announce the arrival of sailing ships entering Table Bay.

Bright red in colour, with a purple hue. Bold aromas of plums & blackberries, with layers of liquorice, smoke, roasted nuts and rich vanilla on the nose. The palate is packed with flavours of plums, black and red cherries, dark chocolate and spicy oak. The integrated and ripe tannins, together with the satisfying acidity, results in a balanced wine with a long finish, promising great maturation potentia

This is big, bold, complex Pinotage, enjoyable now but teasing at its potential. Don't be afraid to hide it away for five years, if not longer, and watch it bloom.