Kanonkop’s 2020 vintage was characterised by cool summer conditions, the mild temperatures being interspersed with bouts of rain after a relatively warm spring had caused vigorous bud-break and early shoot-development.
“The growing season for the 2020 vintage got cracking at a rate of knots,” says Abrie Beeslaar, Kanonkop cellarmaster who has been making the lauded Black Label Pinotage since the maiden 2006 vintage. “Warm weather during September and October resulted in rapid and even budbreak. From the get-go after the winter dormancy period, all the vineyards showed signs of the 2020 harvest being earlier than the norm, as it turned out to be – about a week earlier than average. Very good rains at the end of October and beginning of November relieved a lot of the stress on the vines, the shoots and leaves developing vigorously. The whole month of November was cooler than usual, and December too was around 20 degrees Celsius cooler than the long-term average.”
Throughout the harvesting period the weather remained very favourable, with relatively warm days, no significant heat waves and cool night-time temperatures. “The conditions caused the vineyards to remain in good health, and this could be seen in the analyses of the juice. The grapes were in immaculate condition with not a spot of rot anywhere,” says Beeslaar. “The grapes from the old Kanonkop Pinotage vineyards arrived at the cellar in tremendously good health, making the vinification process a true joy.”
The Black Label Pinotage is made according to traditional Kanonkop winemaking methods. In open concrete fermenters, skins were manually punched through the fermenting juice every two hours, the wine being drawn-off after three-and-a-half days. After malolactic fermentation the Pinotage is aged in new French oak 225l barrels for 18 months.
Each wine is individually numbered and labelled with a hologram to ensure authenticity.
