Another quick stop along the Simonsberg streets at the renowned Kanonkop led me to a beautiful new tasting room, a wall of vintages with hand-written notes about each and an eclectic art gallery. Also, wine.

ROSE:

• Kadette Pinotage Rose: Roses & strawberries, syrupy cotton candy sweet

RED:

• Kadette Cape Blend: 50% Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc. Smoked pepper strawberries, meaty, venison, soft, layered, engaging. (**)
• Pinotage (2012): 18 months in oak, 80% new 225l French, all bush vine. Sharp strawberry & leather, soft, slight bitterness. (*)
• Cabernet Sauvignon (2011): Trellised 20 – 25 year old vines, 2 years on French oak, 50% new. Green peppercorn sauce with lots of cream, punchy cherries in soft creamy mousse, chalky tannin.
• Paul Sauer (2011): Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot. Concentrated gravy, cinnamon & nutmeg, blueberries, pineapple & mint, fresh,  tannic, full & flavourful.

NOTES:

• The Kadette Cape Blend has been produced since 1985
• A wall of Paul Sauer vintages in the cellar features a note on each vintage, raging from “1984: **** Total petrol & diesel account R 11 290.29 (in 12 mnths!)” & “1979: **Secondary fermentation in bottle – ouch!)” to “2009: Strong winds dump 50% of our crop in Table Bay” & “2010: TOO LATE? Bafana Bafana replaces milk with K’Kop Pinotage”

[Author: Leigh-Ann Luckett] [Category: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc, Kadette, Kanonkop, Merlot, Paul Sauer, Pinotage]