Back In Black: Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage 2006-2019 

BY NEAL MARTIN | AUGUST 4, 2022

Pinotage. 

There. I’ve said it. I’ve uttered the unutterable.

PINOTAGE! Look, I’ve blasphemed in capitals.

Hey you. Yes…you at the back…stop laughing. Let me tell you something. I was once like you. I mocked it back in the day. Pinotage was the whipping boy of grape varieties. So-called experts found it bizarre that South African winemakers waved its flag and sang its praises.

Then, I flew to the Cape for the first time and before even checking into my hotel, I was ensconced in a blind tasting of rare, mature South African wines that included a 1961 Pinotage that could show a few Bordeaux alumni a thing or two. It was sensational, and immediately I was forced to alter my perception of Pinotage’s capabilities. Henceforth, I remain open-minded towards this misunderstood variety. I am not going to deny that I must still wade through far too many wretched expressions, mostly designed for supermarket shelves. However, I often encounter wonderful examples from quality-driven producers. Over the years, I have concluded that Pinotage reaches its apogee with Kanonkop’s Black Label.

Recently, the Kanonkop team including proprietors Paul and Johann Krige, grandsons of founder Paul Sauer, accompanied by head winemaker Abrie Beeslaar, flew over to London to hold the first ever vertical retrospective of their Black Label Pinotage from the inaugural 2006 vintage. The room was packed, a sign of how much this wine is appreciated, something you might not have seen a few years ago.

Johann Krige, an outspoken winemaker with strident views, is a man always with a glint in his eye and a fine sense of humour.

Having apologized for his English after speaking barely a word during the pandemic, Johann Krige set the scene by explaining the origins of the grape variety. “The first experimental Pinotage was made in 1941, and the oldest vines at Kanonkop were planted in 1953, which is where the Black Label now comes from. In 1959, South Africa saw the first Pinotage bottlings from Château Lanzarac, the first under the Kanonkop label in 1973. So, it is a young variety, and we’re only beginning to understand it. In 1991, our Pinotage won a trophy at the IWC Awards, and that marked a big change in perception.”