Beeslaar

At this stage one site has been identified on a slight South Easterly slope at 200m above sea level. The soils are shale that are well drained. The area gets around 650mm of rain a year mainly through the winter. One of the key quality factors is the South Easterly wind that blow through most of the summer, that does not only cool down the vineyards, but also limits the growth of the bushvine plants.

The grapes were picked a week earlier than normal and brought to the cellar for destemming, sorting and fermentation in open top fermenters.

The cap was punched every 2 hours for 60 hours until the right extraction was achieved. After pressing, malolactic fermentation was done in 19 French oak barrels and 2 American oak barrels. The wine matured for 20 months in oak.

Abrie Beeslaar, winemaker at esteemed Stellenbosch property Kanonkop, now has his own label named Beeslaar. Abrie explains the origin of the grapes as being “a property about two kilometres from Kanonkop in the direction of the Bottelary Road” and the wine was matured for 17 months in French oak, 50% new. One of the most profound interpretations of the often tricky Pinotage grape that you can imagine. It’s the Grand Cru Burgundy of Pinotages: ...