2024 Sadie Family Swartland Pofadder Cinsault

In the 1920's Cinsault was the most planted black grape in South Africa. However, as one of the fickler varieties to work with, it suffered a fall from grace post WW2. It's only very recently with growers such as Eben Sadie and Chris Alheit leading the charge, the Pinot Noir of Swartland has been reborn. The results are revelatory. This is a variety that is being planted more and more by some top growers in the south of France. Wines like this show you why.

Pofadder is a pure Cinsault, cropped from a parcel on the Kasteelberg Mountain (west of Malmesbury) planted in 1973. Here the soils are composed of slate and decomposed shale. Pofadder is Afrikaans for a puff adder, a type of snake that is known in these parts, and indeed, a puff adder claimed the life of a vineyard worker in the 1940s: hence the name.

Sadie is a champion for old vine Cinsault on the cape, but he concedes that this is the vineyard, and the wine, which needs the most care. Controlling yields, sorting bunches and berries and then protection from oxidation in the cellar are all vital. Eighty percent whole bunches were placed in an old wooden, open-top fermenter, with one or two gentle foot stomps each day to release enough juice to keep the fermentation ticking over. After a month on skins the grapes were then transferred to a tiny basket-press and pressed directly to an old wooden cask for aging. The resulting wine is a gloriously textured yet vibrant ode to both variety and region.

Other Reviews....
This pulls you in with aromas of peppercorns, citrus rind, rosemary, red cherries and red currants. It’s supremely fresh and silky, with a medium body and fine, seamless tannins. Elegant, but with tension and texture. Cinsault. Drink or hold.
95 points
Claire Nesbitt - JamesSuckling.com

"The 2024 Pofadder is the most fruit forward that I have seen it," remarked Eben Sadie. "A lot of guys pick early to make it Burgundian in style, but this site gives full ripeness at 13% alcohol. The slate soil is very important for this as the vines struggle a bit here." It has a crystalline bouquet with mineral-laden forward red fruit and bergamot that bursts from the glass without inhibition. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, gentle grip and powdery texture with a mineral/stony finish that lends a slight brittleness. Great transparency to this Pofadder. Excellent. Drink 2027-2045.
94 points
Neal Martin - Vinous