. “It’s a Swartland thing”, notes Sadie of Tinta Barocca (the S.A. spelling has only one ‘r’ and two ‘c’s). This variety arrived in South Africa from the Douro and has found an opportune home in the Western Cape. Historically Tinta das Baroccas (as it was once labelled) has always played a prominent role in Swartland’s red blends, but the interest in the variety—particularly from old, dry-grown vineyards—has really spiked in recent years.
This vineyard, planted in 1974 and located next to the old railway line (treinspoor), lies four kilometres west of Malmesbury on decomposed granite and sandstone. Sadie notes that while the very fragile, thin skin of Tinta Barocca is prone to sunburn, the old bush vines of this site keep the bunches sheltered from the intense Swartland sun. He likens his Treinspoor to a sort of stylistic cross between Northern Rhône Syrah (black cherry/ blackcurrant/ grenadine fruit, iodine and nettles) and Piemontese Nebbiolo, (spice, florals, acidity, and tannins): “It has Piedmont-like tannins and Northern Rhône aromatics” says Eben. Regardless, as you can read below, it’s an absolutely brilliant red. Fermented in concrete, with 50% whole bunches, and raised for 11 months in large cask, it is, like all Sadie wines, an outstanding, idiosyncratic red of great beauty, finesse and character.