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Kanonkop Kadette Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
About this Wine
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. While the new vineyards were a blessing in terms of future increased volumes, the ethos of Kanonkop’s cellar, under Beyers Truter at the time, required that these newer vines reach a certain stage of maturity before the fruit was deemed good enough to be vinified into a wine that portrayed the depth and complexity associated with Kanonkop.
It was Jannie Krige who came up with the idea of making a second label under the name Kadette. The thinking behind the new name was logical: with the military association of ‘kanon’ (cannon) in Kanonkop, the Kadette was deemed a deserved junior to the more senior main brand.
The grapes used in the Kadette range of wines no longer come from the Kanonkop vineyards; the demand is too great and the volume required simply too large. However, every bunch of grapes brought in for the making of Kadette is subjected to the same meticulous processes in the winery as the Estate range.
The youngest addition to the Kadette range is simply delicious and offers extraordinary value. A well rounded wine showing great accessibility with a juicy fruit core and fresh acidity. The tannins add a grainy texture, and the wine lingers on the finish with beautiful flavours of blue berries and subtle oak spice. A classic Stellenbosch Cabernet at a great price!
Scores & Reviews
92 pts Tim Atkin MW 2022
Like the Kadette Pinotage, this is a very impressive red, especially given its volume and price tag. Made with a 65/35 split of purchased and home-grown grapes, it has graceful tannins, nuanced oak and cassis, bramble and dried herb flavours. Textbook stuff. 2022-27
4 ½ Stars 2023 Platter’s South African Wine Guide
Fresh cassis, along with some cedar & vanilla from 75% new oak on 20 (90 pts). Less splendid, structured & deep-fruited than senior version, but a serious offering & good bargain at a fifth of the price. Approachable already, it should develop – also true of 19 (88 pts). This applies to all the range.
90 pts Wine Enthusiast Nov 2022
Blackberry leaf, cassis and plum skin all dance on the nose of this wine, with supporting accents of singed herbs, tobacco leaf and cedar. The medium-weight palate is like crushed velvet in texture, with ripe black-fruit flavors framed by plush yet structuring tannins and ample acidity that lends some lift along with the grip of the close. It’s well balanced and attractive now, though it should hold well through 2026.
90 pts Wine Spectator Advance Issue June 30, 2023
A dark, juicy, medium- to full-bodied red, with a streak of tarry smoke underscoring flavors of baked black cherry and black plum reduction, with notes of licorice and dried parsley and sage. Firm, chalky tannins emerge to trim the finish. Drink now through 2026. 15,000 cases made, 2,102 cases imported.
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. While the new vineyards were a blessing in terms of future increased volumes, the ethos of Kanonkop’s cellar, under Beyers Truter at the time, required that these newer vines reach a certain stage of maturity before the fruit was deemed good enough to be vinified into a wine that portrayed the depth and complexity associated with Kanonkop.
It was Jannie Krige who came up with the idea of making a second label under the name Kadette. The thinking behind the new name was logical: with the military association of ‘kanon’ (cannon) in Kanonkop, the Kadette was deemed a deserved junior to the more senior main brand.
The grapes used in the Kadette range of wines no longer come from the Kanonkop vineyards; the demand is too great and the volume required simply too large. However, every bunch of grapes brought in for the making of Kadette is subjected to the same meticulous processes in the winery as the Estate range.
The youngest addition to the Kadette range is simply delicious and offers extraordinary value. A well rounded wine showing great accessibility with a juicy fruit core and fresh acidity. The tannins add a grainy texture, and the wine lingers on the finish with beautiful flavours of blue berries and subtle oak spice. A classic Stellenbosch Cabernet at a great price!
$16.99
