2024 Sadie Family Pofadder, Swartland

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 jamessuckling.com

Sadie Family Pofadder from Swartland is a beautifully soulful and quietly profound expression of Cinsault, a grape that Eben Sadie has championed back into the spotlight. The fruit comes from a single dry farmed bush vine parcel planted in the sixties on the granitic slopes of the Kasteelberg. Sandy decomposed granite gives small berries and naturally low yields, while the region’s afternoon winds and cool nights keep the fruit fresh and aromatic despite Swartland’s heat. Eben treats Cinsault with the delicacy usually reserved for Pinot Noir: whole bunch ferments for fragrance and fine tannins, wild yeasts, gentle hand plunging, and ageing in old foudres so the vineyard speaks without oak interference. Pofadder takes its name from the Cape puff adder that once guarded these vines, a nod to the rugged, wild nature of the landscape.

The aroma is captivating in its lift and purity. Cranberry, red cherry and wild strawberry lead, followed by pomegranate, rose petals and a touch of rooibos tea. Underneath the brightness, earthy and mineral notes recall sun baked stones, parched earth and the faint spice of fynbos herbs carried on the Swartland wind. With time in the glass come subtle hints of orange zest, white pepper and soft clove, adding layers without weight.

On the palate it is silken, bright and beautifully structured. Juicy red fruit flows with effortless energy across super fine, sandy tannins that feel completely in tune with the granite soils beneath. Flavours of raspberry, sour cherry, redcurrant and gentle spice unfold in graceful layers, lifted by refreshing natural acidity. The finish is long, savoury and beautifully dry with lingering berries, florals and a clean mineral echo. It is a wine that rewards contemplation but drinks with joyful ease, especially with a light chill.

Perfect with grilled chicken, spiced lamb skewers, charcuterie, tomato based pasta, mezze, mushroom dishes, roasted vegetables or an outdoor feast shared with friends. It is the purest possible expression of old vine Cinsault and a modern South African icon.