This is a late-release vintage that is currently being sold to appease those who collect and drink older wines. The Kanonkop 2014 Simonsberg Stellenbosch Pinotage Estate Wine opens to a medium-rich color and a glossy texture. A library of back vintages is kept at the winery for educational purposes, and this is one of the few wineries that does this. The wine`s evolution is fascinating, with an emphasis on black licorice and earthy tar, and the intensity of the bouquet has developed and increased over the years. It was aged from 16 to 18 months in small oak barrel with 80% new oak. The tannins are resolved and smooth, and there are tertiary hints of forest floor, button mushroom and beef jerky.
The ripening phase in the vineyards is very fast in South Africa, and you need to pick fruit on the dot, proprietor Johann Krige tells me. If not picked at the exact right moment, the risk of green tannins is too big. Sometimes, vintners opt for more hang time to avoid that astringency. 92 points

I tasted the 2014 Pinotage Estate because Kanonkop has an active program of releasing ten-year-old vintage... It actually has quite a youthful bouquet: a mixture of red and black fruit, camphor, a touch of crushed violets and then a smudge of marmalade. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, quite fleshy and erring toward a medicinal style of Pinotage. A touch of white pepper builds on the finish. This is drinking beautifully now. 90 points