The seamless transition between cellarmasters without apparent change to a winery’s house style and quality of wines has traditionally been seen as a mark of a great French First Growth. Seldom has this been more aptly illustrated in the Cape Winelands than during Abrie Beeslaar's tenure as only the third winemaker at Kanonkop since the estate first started bottling wines under its own label in 1973.
Vintage 14
It’s as much a testament to the character of the person holding the position as it is to the estate’s terroir and its owners' philosophy, though the current incumbent would never say so.
Kanonkop's 100 hectares of premium red wine vineyards are rooted in a range of soils on the slopes and foothills of the Simonsberg in Stellenbosch. They've been established over more than three decades to suit the varietal mix and style of eventually just three premium red wines: the Paul Sauer, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinotage.
Kanonkop has been in the same family for four generations after being bought by JW Sauer in the 1930s. The estate's flagship red blend is named after his son Paul, a prominent politician who served as a national government minister. Current owners Johann and Paul Krige are the sons of his daughter Mary and Jannie Krige, who eventually took over the running of the farm from his father-in-law.
From 1973 to 1979, Jan 'Boland' Coetzee [since then on his own property at Vriesenhof] made the wines. Then came 23 vintages under Beyers Truter, who placed Kanonkop on the international map before moving full-time to his own property, Beyerskloof.
'When I went along for an interview with Beyers and Johann,' recalls Abrie, 'we drank a bottle of wine together. At one point, Johann looked me straight in the eye and said: "We don't expect you to win any competitions. And don't reinvent the wheel."
'I think it was the most wonderful, insightful thing to say to a young winemaker who was following in the footsteps of two such greats. It took the pressure off. But it also taught me that, for Kanonkop, the most important thing is not the celebrity or the competitions or the awards; it's the wine in the glass.
'You know, as a young winemaker, I could have come in to make a statement, to put my stamp on Kanonkop. But I didn't want to be the rookie who upset the apple cart. That's not what it's about for me; I'm here to build on what has been done before. And I had 23 years of experience to tap into.'
He still does. 'Beyers and I talk often. I know I can pick up the phone anytime; it's a special thing to have that kind of relationship with your predecessor.'
Their paths first crossed when Abrie was a winemaker at Swartland co-operative cellar near Malmesbury from 1998 to 2002. 'That was where I learned the meaning of patience: from Andries Blake. He taught me that when hundreds of tons of grapes arrive at the cellar and something goes wrong, you have to stay calm, fix the problem, and just get on with the job.' It was to stand him in good stead...
Although in charge of white winemaking at that stage - he did a harvest at Reh-Kendermann in the Rheinhessen in Germany and still enjoys a fine riesling - Abrie worked across the varietal and style spectrum. And so it was he came to prepare a pinotage for export to Tesco's and Sainsbury's in the United Kingdom for Beyerskloof, then a joint venture between Truter, the Kriges and their business partner and UK agent Simon Halliday.
'We got on really well. Sometime later Beyers, out of the blue, invited me on a trip to France. I arrived at the airport and everyone else pulled out their golf bags! I didn't play golf! And it turned out to be as much a golf trip as a wine trip!'
Eggs poached in pinotage with red wine reduction recipe by Abri Beeslaar paired with Kanonkop Pinotage wine....
Oven-roasted Greek lamb with feta and mint recipe by Abri Beeslaar served with couscous and paired with Kanonkop Paul Sauer wine....