Kanonkop Pinotage 2021

Winemaker Abrie Beeslaar shows the complexity and age potential of Pinotage in his wines. The Estate collection is proof of that. This vintage offers aromas of sweet spices and berries. It's full on the palate, with a good concentration of raspberries and red plums. A touch of licorice lingers on the finish. This is still young, but it's ready to drink now, or hold through 2035.

A delightful and juicy wine, the 2021 Pinotage offers a ripe and fleshy expression of black raspberry, spiced plums and dark cherry skin with elegant oak spices and dusty florals with a soft, lingering potpourri essence. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is fresh and red-fruited with succulent acidity and fine-grained tannins that lift the mid-palate while displaying plenty of toasted oak essence. This Pinotage is gorgeous as it offers layers of attractive fruit and oak before gliding to a graceful, food-friendly finish. While it's still primary, this will undoubtedly improve with additional bottle age. About 70,000 bottles were filled after the wine matured for a year and a half in 80% new French oak. Nicely done!

The 2021 Pinotage Estate matured in French oak, 80% new for 18 months. It has a lively and well-defined nose, with just a touch of Wellington boot that marries the dark berry fruit well. The palate is well-balanced, with a lightly spiced entry fanning out gently towards the finish with a touch of stem ginger. This represents an elegant take on the grape variety.