Kanonkop - 'Paul Sauer', Stellenbosch - 2018 (750ml)

Wine Composition

70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc & 15% Merlot

Winemakers Comments  

The saturated ruby color is complimented by an array of scents typically associated with Paul Sauer – fresh herbs, tilled earth, pencil shavings, spice, red- and black fruits. While being heady and perfumed, the wine remains classic and refined, with an utterly elegant structure. The tannins are precise, and together with the clever use of new oak, creates the perfect backdrop to host the complex fruit spectrum. The finish is sappy and spicy, with layered notes of red fruits and cured meats on the long, youthful finish. .

Previous Awards

Greg Sherwood | 97 points

Technical Analysis

Alcohol Percentage 

13.91%

TA

6.2 g/l

pH

3.55

RS

2.4 g/l 

Cellar Techniques

Fermented in open top concrete fermenters at 290C. The floating skins were punched down by hand, every 2 hours during fermentation. The juice was drawn off the skins after 5 days. After malolactic fermentation the wine was matured for 24 months in 100% new 225L French Nevers oak barrels.

Winemaker

Name: Abrie Beeslaar

Winery

Kanonkop is a fourth generation family estate, which was originally purchased by JW Sauer, a cabinet member in the parliament of the Union of South Africa. Kanonkop Estate is situated on the lower slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain in the Stellenbosch Region of the Cape.It is between Stellenbosch and Paarl on the R44 and falls in a ward called Simonsberg, more commonly known as the “red wine bowl” of South Africa. It has earned a reputation both at home and abroad as an area producing the best wines in the country. Besides the solid foundation on which the estate’s winemaking principles are based, it is also blessed with ideal soils, cool sea breezes and long summer days, creating the perfect climate for growing grapes.