Your marching orders? Drink this wine!
44% Pinotage, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc from Stellenbosch, South Africa. The wine was aged in barrel for 12-14 months and has residual sugar of just 2.8 g/l.
The Kanonkop Kadette has an SRP of $15 and is available for around $10. Ready to buy? Check your local retailers. Imported by Cape Classics. Sample submitted for review.
From the bottle:
KANONKOP: Means "Canon Hill" and is derived from the days when cannons were fired to signal the arrival of Dutch trade ships into Cape Town Harbor.
GRAPES: A blend of Pinotage (44%), Cabernet Sauvignon (37%), Merlot (13%), Cabernet Franc (6%).
SKIN CONTACT: 3 to 5 days on skins in open fermenters at 84 degrees F - cap punched manually every 2 hours.
OAKING: 12-14 months in 225L French Nevers.
ORIGIN: From the quality wine region of Stellenbosch, east of Cape Town.
STYLE: A dry red wine with a concentrated berry, cherry and plum flavours with soft silky tannins and a hint of spice on the finish.
FOOD SUGGESTIONS: Meat, pasta or spicy dishes.
14.0% Alcohol
We're big fans of wines from South Africa here at Reverse Wine Snob and today we have another excellent one. This one comes from the lower slopes of Simonsberg Mountain in Stellenbosch.
The 2014 Kanonkop Kadette is a little closed at first, but as with most things in life patience is rewarded. Once the bouquet opens up you'll find excellent blackberry and plum aromas, a bit on the jammy side, plus some vanilla and smoky spice. Tasting the wine reveals a silky smooth texture and excellent juicy fruit tending more towards cranberry in the mouth but still containing blackberry and plum like the bouquet. There's also a nice layered spice component with a pleasant smokiness all the way through to the dry, long and grippy finish of this medium-bodied wine. It went wonderfully with brats off the grill.
Looking for more of the best red blends under $20? Click the pic below to check our giant listing along with more information on this popular style of wine!
Ready to buy the Kanonkop Kadette? Check your local retailers.
