Iona Kroon Pinot Noir 2020

94 points, Tim Atkin

The Kroon Vineyard, with its ferricrete soil, is the highest vineyard on Iona. The wine offers an array of seductive black fruits that include berries, cherries and ripe summer plums. The palate is gentle yet generous with pure succulent fruit, bright acidity, charming velvety fine grained tannins resulting in a wine that is nuanced, textured and perfectly balanced with a long savoury finish.
Kroon is my favourite of the three site-specific Iona Pinot Noirs, using grapes grown on sandstone and ferricrete soils. Rose petal and wild herb aromas are a prelude to a palate of sweet plum, pomegranate and raspberry fruit and a bloody, slightly ferrous undertone. TA

Country: South Africa

Region: Elgin

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Food match

Beef Bourginon with mushroom or braised lamb shanks.

In early 1997, Andrew Gunn, an engineer by training was contemplating his next career move. Having always loved the outdoors, the prospect of farming appealed to him and feeling young and energetic enough to start a new career, left the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg to begin the search for the ‘perfect’ farm.

After months of searching and 40 farm visits later, Andrew and a very tired estate agent stumbled upon a solitary run down apple farm on a mountain top overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The prospect of a suitable farm in Elgin intrigued Andrew and on driving through the valley, he became excited by the beauty of the area. Surrounded by the Kogelberg Biosphere and Forestry the property had no agricultural neighbours. The rolling hills and the drive up the mountain to where the farm was situated, 420 meters above sea level, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was love at first sight.

As he drove in and stopped in front of a rather run down Herbert Baker homestead, he felt, “this is where I would like to live”, and the view from the front of the house overlooking the Elgin Valley below, made up his mind.