Bang for your Bok
Kanonkop on the Cape offers a taste of South African history, with creosote and rubber long banished to wild imaginations, writes Christine Austin.
IN the 17th and 18th centuries, farmers in the Cape area of South Africa had only one way to find out if there were ships in the harbour wanting to stock up with food and that was when a cannon was fired from the top of a hill. It told everyone to load up their waggons with produce and wine and head to the coast where there was a ready market.
The hill where the cannon was sited was called Kanonkop (cannon hill) and that is how the wine estate, just below the Simonsberg mountain, got its name.
Now there are small cannons marking the entrance to the estate, just north of Stellenbosch, making it easy to find, and Kanonkop has been owned by the Krige family for generations.
Although grapes have been grown on the property for almost a century, for many years the fruit was harvested and sold to a farmers’ co-operative where its flavours were lost in big blends. By 1942 the family had built a winery, creating deep, open fermentation vats, so that the grapes could be hand plunged to extract flavour and colour. It is a design that has stood the test of time, with the same style of vats still in use today.
By 1968 Jan Coetzee was appointed winemaker, although he split his time between the vineyards, winery and various rugby pitches around the Cape. He also restructured the vineyards, pulling out Shiraz and replanting with Cabernet Sauvignon and he was the first to plant South Africa’s own grape variety, Pinotage, a cross between Cinsault and Pinot Noir.
It was during Coetzee’s time at Kanonkop that the first wines were bottled in 1973 under the estate name. This was really the starting point for the estate’s fine reputation, which has seen it pick up many accolades over the years. The two winemakers who followed Coetzee, Beyers Truter and Abrie Beeslaar, have each been named Winemaker of the Year by the
International Wine and Spirit Competition for the sheer brilliance of their wines.
To celebrate 50 years of outstanding wines, co-owner Johann Krige and winemaker Abrie Beeslaar headed to London to pull the corks on some historic wines and to explain their philosophy of making wines on this beautiful estate.
“When I joined Kanonkop it was already producing world-class wines, so I decided to maintain what was there, then refine and focus on the terroir of the estate,” said Abrie.
With various charts showing soils, rain and sunshine for the different vintages, Abrie unravelled the intricacies of making these wines. Four vintages of Pinotage were introduced, spanning four decades, and since this is the variety that Kanonkop has made its flagship, it was fascinating to see how it has survived.
Pinotage is fairly local to South Africa, although it is not a native grape. It was invented there by one Professor Perold, who wanted to blend the flavour of Pinot and the robust character of Cinsault (locally known as Hermitage). The cross he came up with was named after its parents and became Pinotage, but it has never really found its mark. In past years many wines came with an odd aroma, reminiscent of a newly creosoted fence or rubber from a warm car tyre and gradually it became the wine that everyone loved to hate.
So, with these thoughts and aromas in my mind I tasted the four vintages of Pinotage, 2013, 2006, 1999 and 1989, and there was not
a trace of rubber or creosote in any of them. The 1989 vintage was still full of bramble fruit, vibrant and defying its years. 1999 was silky, savoury and complex, while the 2006 was still dense, with a chunky, robust character. The 2013 had raspberry fruit to the fore, wrapped in a silky tannic structure with an amazing length.
So, if these wines did not demonstrate the creosote and rubber character that has defined many drinker’s opinions for the last 30 years, where did that reputation come from and where have those bad flavours gone? “These characters were never in the actual grape variety,” added Abrie. “It was all down to the way it was handled. Pinotage is very site specific; it needs the right conditions to produce its best, and that is what we do now and always have done.”
On to the Cabernets and there were six vintages in the line-up, from a stylish, polished 2015 with elegant, precise fruit through to the 2009 which showed a distinct minty character across the palate alongside a silky structure. The 2001 was one of my favourites, with layers of savoury flavours, deep and seductive, and the 1995 was creamy, still with enough structure to hold its fruit.
While my 1989 was not quite on form, the 1973, the first wine bottled by the estate, was in remarkable condition. Still showing well with echoes of blackcurrant and mulberry, an edge of spice and olives with a finish that was bright and clean, almost as if the wine was waking up after a long sleep.
So, if Kanonkop can produce wines that hold up so very well over the decades, is there any work to do apart from maintain the status?
“Globally, the quality of wine is increasing,” said Johann Krige. “So it is vital to continue to investigate new methods of work, not just for the wines, but for the environment.“
“A hundred years ago, the farm looked totally different – we have maps that show forest and grassland – and we intend to rebuild that structure. Fynbos, our native plants and flowers, are a vital part of our natural heritage, so we are re-establishing areas for them.
“We are also planting trees and bushes to act as corridors for local wildlife. We are installing tall poles that owls and predators like to sit on, we are using guinea fowl to eat the pests in the vineyard, and we are creating a wetland for water recycling.”
From solar panels to an integrated programme to look after workers and their children, it is good to see how one of South Africa’s leading estates is not just looking back at its old wines, but forward to its new place in the world.
Find Kanonkop wines at the Wine Society, Waitrose and Majestic.