The first wine auction by Strauss and Co focussing on a single South African wine producer takes place in November when 122 lots of vintage Kanonkop Estate wines from between vintages 1984 and 2001 go under the hammer, with bidding occurring both on-line and in public. The auction goes live on the Strauss & Co website on 4 November. From then, bidders can view the lots, register, explore and place commission bids, with the live auction taking place in Johannesburg on Wednesday 18 November.
The spread of wines of between 42 and 21 years of age incorporates all three of the Kanonkop Estate offerings, namely Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon and the revered Paul Sauer red Bordeaux-style blend.
According to Roland Peens, senior wine specialist at Strauss&Co, the auction provides a unique opportunity for buyers and collectors of premium South African wine, not only due to Kanonkop’s global reputation for quality and the provenance of its wines, but because the Stellenbosch estate has since its maiden vintage in 1973 placed an emphasis on holding back stock for future showing.
“No other Cape estate is capable of providing such an extensive range of wines from such a broad expanse of vintages as Kanonkop,” says Peens. “Add the distinctive quality of its wines that has spearheaded Kanonkop’s reputation over five decades, and the Strauss&Co Kanonkop Auction is a rare opportunity – both for those wishing to acquire rare vintages of Kanonkop wines, as well as for Strauss&Co who are honoured to present this auction and considers it a highlight since our foray into auctioning Cape wine began.”
Furthering this auction’s status beyond the diverse and historical offering of Kanonkop wines is the fact that each bottle on auction has been checked for wine-health and quality before being recorked by Amorim Cork. Every bottle’s cork bears the date of the re-corking and each wine been entered into a database for validation, providing successful buyers not only with extraordinary wine assets, but also with recorded confirmation of provenance.
“The quality of the lots on auction is complemented by the fact that the wines have never left the Kanonkop property,” says Peens. “They have been stored in the Kanonkop cellar in Stellenbosch since bottling and at the ideal storage temperature. Pre-auction tastings of selected lots of Paul Sauer, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage from the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s showed extraordinary quality and longevity together with that classic sense of place for which Kanonkop has become known and deservedly gained the international reputation as a true South African icon.”
Johann Krige, co-owner of Kanonkop Estate, says that as a wine producer whose first commitment is to provide wine-lovers with the experience of enjoying Kanonkop’s wines, the Strauss&Co Auction is an important chapter in the history of this venerable wine estate.
“In global terms, Kanonkop’s wine offering has a relative brief history of 53 vintages,” says Krige. “But we have always believed in the importance of backing up our wine quality with provenance and a proven track-record of excellence. Although Kanonkop’s wines are known for ageability and over the years various shows and tastings has put our older wines on display, this Strauss&Co auction is the most comprehensive offering of vintage Kanonkop wines, and it gives us great pleasure knowing these wines are going out into the world to be enjoyed by those with an appreciation for classic, older red wines.”
Timeline:
· 4 November: Auction goes live on www.straussart.co.za. Tickets for pre-auction tastings to on sale.
· 11 November: Pre-auction tasting of selected lots at Strauss & Co, Brickfield Canvas, 35 Brickfield Road, Woodstock, Cape Town. 18:00 to 20:30. Tasting tickets are R750 per person. To book tickets – Click here
· 18 November: Auction Day. Johannesburg. Pre-auction tasting from 17:00 to 19:00. Tasting tickets: R750 per person. Auction takes place from 19:00 to 21:00 To book tickets: Click here
