Kanonkop winemaker Abrie Beeslaar is one of SA's finest winemakers when it comes to Pinotage - a wine he is so passionate about he refers to it as "my oxygen".
Using his skill, the estate has taken a bold step - to create an iconic SA wine, the Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage, which it believes will hold its own among the best wines in the world.
From a single historic vineyard of unirrigated bush vines that produce grapes of very low yield but exceptional quality, Kanonkop has produced only 1 000 bottles of the 2006 vintage, which will retail for R1 000 a bottle.
Abrie Beeslaar
Kanonkop's two main objectives are to assist in establishing a secondary investment market for SA wines, and to produce a uniquely SA wine that can demonstrate what Pinotage is really capable of.
"SA has shown itself able to make wines that demand high prices, albeit on a limited scale," says Kanonkop's co-proprietor, Johann Krige. "The Black Label intends joining these other iconic wines. We believe it is going to do a lot for the reputation of Pinotage, which is a uniquely SA cultivar."
Beeslaar has already done wonders for the reputation of SA wines. Last year he was named international winemaker of the year at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London, beating more than 5 500 entries from 50 countries. Kanonkop also once again received the trophy for the best international blended red wine with its Paul Sauer 2003. It is the first wine farm ever to have received this trophy for a third time.
Beeslaar was the winemaker at Swartland before moving to Kanonkop in 2002, where he worked with Beyers Truter for two years before succeeding him in 2004. He is only the fourth winemaker at the 100-year-old farm since it started producing wine commercially.
The Black Label Pinotage is made from vines planted in 1953 - some of the first commercial Pinotage vines ever planted in SA.
"Every year, I end up with 20 to 30 barrels from this specific vineyard that are more delicate than the rest and different to it. I always consider it a pity to just blend it away into Kanonkop's regular Pinotage and not show people what Pinotage is capable of," says Beeslaar. "It just proves that when you match the right variety with the right soil and let it mature you can get something really special.
"The main attraction is the structure of the wine," he adds. "It is unusual to find power expressed in such an elegant way."
In January next year, Kanonkop will release 60% of the 2006 Black Label vintage through two negotiants: the Wade Bales Wine Society and Fiona Phillips of Cybercellar. No buyer may take more than 36 bottles.
After a few months the other 40% will be released, but at a price reflecting the market's attitude towards the wine. The assumption is that the price will keep climbing once people taste it and that the initial buyers will be able to offload some stock back onto the market at a profit.
Kanonkop's ultimate goal is to help create a secondary market for SA wine in which the top wineries pre-sell wine while it is still in the barrel. The estate feels the time is right for SA's best wine producers to take up the challenge of producing the very best wines they are capable of, regardless of price, so that SA can create a showcase of extraordinary wine with which to wow the rest of the world.
Ranking the Analysts 2009
Was 2008 international winemaker of the year