New gig for one of the Cape’s rock star winemakers
The announcement that Kanonkop’s winemaker, Abrie Beeslaar, would be giving up one of the most prestigious wine gigs in the country to concentrate on his own brand was certainly the big news of the season. While not entirely unexpected at some stage (Beeslaar wines have been in the market for more than a decade), there wasn’t even a hint that this might be on the cards when Kanonkop hosted its annual roadshow in November 2023.
Given that Beeslaar is going to carry on in a full-time capacity for at least another six months and will remain as a consultant after that, it’s clear that the whole arrangement is amicable. There’s an experienced winemaking team in situ with Francois van Zyl (ex
Kanonkop’s Laibach property) set to take over and coproprietor Paul Krige’s daughter, Suzaan (a graduate with proven degrees in oenology and commerce), appointed as assistant winemaker. The only person slightly inconvenienced by all this might be the current CEO, Johann Krige, who is going to have to put his retirement plans on hold for a bit.
A few people have questioned whether enough is happening at Beeslaar Wines to justify Abrie’s decision. I’m in no doubt: he makes great pinotage and has just launched his first chardonnay. I tasted both recently.
The 2022 Pinotage is harmonious and textural, more pinot than pinotage, with finely modulated red fruit notes, supple tannins and succulent intensity. Retailing at R670 a bottle, it’s already something of an industry classic.
This was the first time I had sampled the chardonnay and I was both surprised and impressed. Surprised, because I wasn’t sure how much white wine Abrie had made since he worked in Germany almost 25 years ago, and impressed because it’s delicious, nuanced and multilayered.
Like the red, it’s more about texture and dimension than simple forward fruit.
The current (2022) vintage was made with grapes sourced from the Tradouw Highlands (origin of the Survivor Chardonnay, which was the trophy winner at the 2023 Investec show), with a smaller Stellenbosch component. The 2023 will involve Villiersdorp and Bonnievale grapes adding dimension (and contributing much-needed volume: the current release is only about 300 cases and is underpriced at R395).
Another of the Cape’s rock star winemakers who made a surprising career move a few years back is Schalk-Willem Joubert. He chose to leave the comfort of the Rupert & Rothschild brand he helped turn into a household name to work with the French Oddo family to build something pretty much from the ground up.
Pascal and Christine Oddo, and their daughter Lorraine, own and manage a number of wine properties in several European appellations: Sancerre and Provence in France, Sicily in Italy and Rioja in Spain. They came to SA and in quick succession acquired the farms that became the primary fruit sources for three brands: Pink Valley Rosé (Helderberg) Le Chant (Polkadraai-Stellenbosch) and Taaibosch (Helderberg, formerly the Cordoba farm).
Taaibosch has enjoyed the most visible investment. The high-altitude, ocean-facing steep slopes have been terraced and largely replanted, with only a small percentage of Chris Keet’s original Crescendo cabernet franc blocks retained. The cellar is world class, a carefully designed food factory with the sole aim to transform the estate’s fruit into the purest expression of its terroir.
The first Taaibosch vintage was the 2018. Like the legendary 1995 Cordoba Crescendo on which it is modelled, it is a cabernet francdominated blend, with merlot and some cabernet sauvignon. It’s already drinking well, though it errs on the side of charm rather than complexity (probably the inevitable result of an end-of-drought vintage). The 2019 more than compensates. It is tight, fragrant and linear, with a purity reminiscent of classically styled high-end Bordeaux — more Chateau Figeac than Pauillac.
There are not many Cape reds that deliver increased complexity rather than polish and smoothness over time. I’m happy to offer the 2019 Taaibosch a long lease in my cellar, and willing to take the stock for security.