KANONKOP | Kadette | Cape Blend | 2016
cabernet sauvignon | pinotage | merlot | cabernet franc

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Today we are going to review a wine that is considered a classic in its homeland in South Africa – Kadette Cape Blend 2016 by Kanonkop Wine Estate. This wine is a blend of four major grape varieties from Stellenbosch region: cabernet sauvignon (38%), pinotage (33%), merlot (23%) and cabernet franc (6%), all of them combined to the point of excellence, where cabernet sauvignon forms the wine’s main body and structure, pinotage adds floral notes and more color extract, merlot rounds up and smoothens the final blend, while cabernet franc brings more black fruit flavours and delivers a more refined mid-palate. Kanonkop is a 4th generation family-owned wine estate, which has been handed down from generation to generation and is now in the hands of brothers Paul and Johann Krige. 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 the Table Bay. The four varieties have been then aged separately for 12 to 14 months in second and third fill, french oak barrels from Nevers. That said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: deep & noble garnet color
clarity: hazy copper shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & mature
fruit profile: red fruits | black fruits
__red fruits: red plum | sour cherry | red currant | cranberry
__black fruits: black plum | black cherry | blackberry | brumble
fruit character: ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | earthy | other
__spice: red pepper | cloves | nutmeg | thyme | rosemary
__oak: roasted oakwood | sun-dried oak | oaktree bark | tobacco
__earthy: brown soil | dried leaves | forest floor
__other: dried herbs | rooibos tea
primary layer: fruit & oak

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: medium+
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: acidity
body: supple & round | medium+

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits
fruit character: overripe
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: medium+
aftertaste: crisp

//Scoring
KANONKOP | Kadette | Cape Blend | 2016
variety: cabernet sauvignon | pinotage | merlot | cabernet franc
country: South Africa
region: Stellenbosch
rating: 94.0

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for 2 or 3 more years
verdict: great | a must try wine

//Prediction
RP rating: 90

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This is definitely a great wine of South Africa and, with a total of 94.0 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a very round, supple and voluptuous wine blend, with a noble and velvety palate. The wine is still developing in the bottle, but it is almost there, very close to the summit of its prime form, therefore we would recommend to drink it now or age it for another 2 to 3 years, in order to enjoy it at its finest, as we firmly believe that it is always better to drink a wine a year too soon than a day too late. On the nose the wine brings a mixture of ripe red and black fruits in the foreground, followed by a very appealing, spicy-oaky background and a noble, earthy-herbaceous layer in between the two. On the palate the wine delivers mouth-watering acidity, ripe tannins and a touch of alcoholic warmth showing through on the mouthfeel, which leads to a pleasantly crisp aftertaste. All in all, this is a quite harmonious and well structured wine blend, with nicely balanced layers of flavours that are coming at you in waves – quite a mesmerizing sensation. We would recommend to pair this wine with any red wine based meats, like for example Tournedos Rossini or a classic, fillet mignon steak. Enjoy!

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