2017 Kanonkop, Black Label Pinotage, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Single plot of 65-year-old, dry-farmed bush vines, on decomposed granite and Hutton soils, harvested at 2.8 t/ha. Fermentation in open concrete fermenters at 28 °C, with manual punch-downs every two hours. Juice drawn off skins after three and a half days. 18 months in new, 225-litre French Nevers oak, mainly from Vicard. TA 5.4 g/l, pH 3.62, RS 2.6 g/l, VA 0.82 g/l, total SO2 85 mg/l, free SO2 41 mg/l.

Deep black-ruby. Cooked raspberry, fresh earth, vanilla and clove spice. Compact, dense fruit on the entry, with powerful, but fine-grained tannins. Lots of density and weight. Needs time, but this has the core of quality to potentially equal the 2015. 

Drink 2026 - 2040

Tim Jackson MW, JancisRobinson.com (January 2023)