2022 The Sadie Family, Pofadder, Swartland

Red-fruited and softly spicy, the 2022 Old Vine Series Pofadder offers ample floral expressions with crunchy red fruit aromas that display a pure and fresh expression of Cinsault. Medium to full-bodied and with 14% alcohol, the palate is fresh and mineral driven before a firm tannic grip clamps down, telling me it's much too young right now. With a fine acid backbone, this beauty will continue to shine with elegance and finesse for more than a decade. It's immensely pleasurable and has me craving duck breast. Only 5,000 bottles were produced from 50% whole-cluster Cinsault. Speaking with Eben Sadie, he believes it’s their best Cinsault since 2012.

Cinsault from Swartland – Riebeeksrivier. 28hl/ha. Ageing 12 months in old foudre. Exuberant red-fruit aromas, notes of raspberry and wild berries. Pure and linear, the juiciness delivers a sour-cherry savouriness offering spice and accessibility rather than complexity and nuance. All the brightness possible from the variety but very little of the layering a great red wine might deliver. (MF)