Kanonkop Pinotage

16+/20 jancisrobinson.com "From dry-farmed bush vines 32 to 66 years old on decomposed granite and Hutton soils, harvested at 5 t/ha. Long-term reduction in water reserves due to the previous years of drought meant very uneven budding. Fermentation in open concrete fermenters at 28 °C, with manual punchdowns every two hours. Juice drawn off skins after three days. After malolactic fermentation, aged for 16 months in 80% new, 20% second-fill 225-litre French Nevers oak barrels. TA 5.3 g/l, pH 3.87, RS 2.5 g/l, VA 0.65 g/l, total SO₂ 93 mg/l, free SO₂ 45 mg/l. 72,000 bottles made.
Mid purple. Youthful nose that’s all fudgy, vanilla oak and rich, smoky, black fruit, which doesn’t yet sit together as a whole. Firm, mouth-coating tannins, ripe, smoky black fruit and a vanilla-laced, warming finish. Finer-quality tannins than the 2012, even if more youthful and needing time for the wine to come together – the optical-sorting effect, perhaps?"

Bottle Size - 75cl
Style - Still Red
Region - Stellenbosch
Country - South Africa
ABV - 14.5%