MICHAEL FRIDJHON: New gig for one of the Cape’s rock star winemakers
Abrie Beeslaar’s chardonnay is delicious, nuanced and multilayered
The announcement that Kanonkop’s winemaker, Abrie Beeslaar, would be giving up one of the most prestigious wine gigs in the country to concentrate on his own brand was certainly the big news of the season. While not entirely unexpected at some stage (Beeslaar wines have been in the market for more than a decade), there wasn’t even a hint that this might be on the cards when Kanonkop hosted its annual roadshow in November 2023.
Given that Beeslaar is going to carry on in a full-time capacity for at least another six months and will remain as a consultant after that, it’s clear that the whole arrangement is amicable. There’s an experienced winemaking team in situ with Francois van Zyl (ex Kanonkop’s Laibach property) set to take over and co-proprietor Paul Krige’s daughter, Suzaan (a graduate with proven degrees in oenology and commerce), appointed as assistant winemaker. The only person slightly inconvenienced by all this might be the current CEO, Johann Krige, who is going to...
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