KANONKOP - Kadette Cape Blend 2018
Kanonkop Wines is located in Stellenbosch, in South Africa. The name Kanonkop is derived from a hillock (kop) on the Simonsberg mountain above the wine estate from where, during the 17th and 18th centuries, a cannon (kanon) was fired to announce the arrival of sailing ships entering Table Bay. The first wines bearing the Kanonkop label were produced in 1973. The estate has been family-owned for 4 generations, managed today by brothers Paul and Johann Krige. The focused and site-specific approach to winemaking, which has been at the heart of the estate since the first vintage. All Kanonkop wine is certified by Sustainable Wine South Africa (SWSA).
By the mid-1980s, Kanonkop was experiencing an ever-growing demand for its estate wines. This had led to new plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage. It was Jannie Krige who came up with the idea of making a second label under the name Kadette.
The Kadette Cape Blend is a blend of Pinotage (37%), Cabernet Sauvignon (33%), Merlot (26%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Petit Verdot (1%). Fermentation took place in open top concrete fermenters. The floating skins were punched down mechanically, every 2 hours during the fermentation. The juice was drawn-off the skins after 3 to 5 days. After the malolactic fermentation, the wine was matured for 12 months in 2nd and 3rd fill 225 litres French Nevers oak barrels.
Grape varieties: 37% Pinotage, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot