Swartland. In the 1920s, Cinsault was the most-planted black grape in South Africa. However, as one of the fickler varieties to work with and to vinify, it suffered a fall from grace post-WWII. It’s only very recently that (with growers such as Eben Sadie and Chris Alheit leading the charge) the ‘Pinot Noir of Swartland’ has been reborn, and the results are revelatory. This variety is now being planted more and more by top growers in the south of France. Wines like this show you why.
Pofadder is pure Cinsault, cropped from a 1973-planted parcel in Riebeeksrivier on the Kasteelberg Mountain (west of Malmesbury). The soils are slate and decomposed shale. Pofadder is Afrikaans for a puff adder, a type of snake in these parts that claimed the life of a vineyard worker in the 1940s. Sadie is a champion of old-vine Cinsault in the Cape, but even he concedes that this is the vineyard and the wine that need the most care. Controlling yields, bunch/berry sorting and protection from oxidation in the cellar are all vital. Roughly 30% whole bunches are placed in an old wooden, open-top fermenter, with one or two gentle foot-stomps each day to release just enough juice to keep the fermentation ticking over. After a month on skins, the grapes are transferred to a tiny basket press and pressed directly to 28-year-old conical wooden casks for aging. The wine is a gloriously textured yet vibrant ode to variety and region. In Eben’s mind, the 2023 is the most stylish example he has released.