The Wine of the Year

I finally (or perhaps already now would be more correct) decided to open a bottle of the wine that Platter's South African Wines 2009 classifies as their Wine of the Year, Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. As promised previously I will now attempt to report on the experience. Keep in mind, that I'm no wine connoisseur, and have never been quite able to understand how words such as 'asphalt', 'openhearted' or 'busty' can be used to describe wine. I also indiscriminately drink all kinds of wines from box to age-old without that much thought to what is going down my throat. I am now attempting to change this, and instead of shameless drunkenness I'm intending to portray my shady pastime as a legit hobby. We'll see if anyone will actually buy it.

According to Platter's South African Wines 2009 the five-star Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 "...delivers resplendently complex cedar/cassis aromas & ripe blackcurrant [sic] flavours, with defining savoury, herbal edge."(p. 331)

I am sorely unable to get much out of this definition. I know what cedars smell like, how black currants taste, the essential definition of 'savoury', and what possibly could be conceived as 'herbal'. I will have to google 'cassis' now.

Cassis is a French liquor, which I obviously have never tasted.

Smelling the wine last night, unfortunately after having a few glasses of Lanzerac Cabernet Sauvignon (I know I'm a wine heretic), I have to say I was thoroughly unable to smell the pine. And I should know, my country is 'resplendent' with them. To me most wines have a black currant flavor, since to me that is the flavor of concentrated grapes. So, check the black currants. I can say the wine was not particularly sweet, so I guess that is a check for savoury as well. I'll have to think about the herbal a little more when I consume the last remaining bottles.

I get the feeling my reporting is not going very well.

All I can say is that the wine ranks right up there with the best tasting wines I've ever had. It smelled good, tasted nice and smooth, and the four of us, I and three friends, happily shared two bottles of it. I will attempt to find more of it, and yes, I think it is definitely worth it at R224 per bottle at Makro. 

Thank you for bearing with me. I will do better in the future.