2014 Kanonkop Pinotage
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This is a late-release vintage that is currently being sold to appease those who collect and drink older wines. The Kanonkop 2014 Simonsberg Stellenbosch Pinotage Estate Wine opens to a medium-rich color and a glossy texture. A library of back vintages is kept at the winery for educational purposes, and this is one of the few wineries that does this. The wine's evolution is fascinating, with an emphasis on black licorice and earthy tar, and the intensity of the bouquet has developed and increased over the years. It was aged from 16 to 18 months in small oak barrel with 80% new oak. The tannins are resolved and smooth, and there are tertiary hints of forest floor, button mushroom and beef jerky. The ripening phase in the vineyards is very fast in South Africa, and you need to pick fruit on the dot, proprietor Johann Krige tells me. If not picked at the exact right moment, the risk of green tannins is too big. Sometimes, vintners opt for more hang time to avoid that astringency.
Punteggi della critica
Punteggio medio
Neal Martin
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Altre recensioni e punteggi
I tasted the 2014 Pinotage Estate because Kanonkop has an active program of releasing ten-year-old vintage to restaurants. It actually has quite a youthful bouquet: a mixture of red and black fruit, camphor, a touch of crushed violets and then a smudge of marmalade. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, quite fleshy and erring toward a medicinal style of Pinotage. A touch of white pepper builds on the finish. This is drinking beautifully now.
Bright medium ruby. Expressive aromas of blackberry, woodsmoke and chocolate. Very sweet, plush and deep but not overly fruity, with plum, blackberry and licorice flavors complicated by a hint of banana chips and smoky minerality. Finishes with a firm spine of well-integrated tannins, a dusty mocha note and excellent length and grip.
The 2014 Pinotage is matured for 16 months in 80% new oak. It offers a vivid and powerful bouquet of black cherries, licorice, melted tar and blueberries that seem to gush from the glass. The palate is powerful on the entry with bold tannin, but there is the acidity here to keep everything balanced and counter the layers of fruit with freshness and tension. As I have written before, Kanonkop know how to make a great Pinotage and this is a delight.