critic reviews
The Sadie Family's 2023 Swartland Pofadder brings new perspective onto this grape. Cinsault can be "pretty," says Eben Sadie. However, this wine shows a greater sense of volume and heft. In the 1920s, this was a widely planted variety in South Africa, but it began to slip away with the rise of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. "It's like your brother in jail," says Eben Sadie. "You love it, but you can't talk about it." Today, Cinsault is a protagonist of the South African New Wave thanks to dedicated producers like Eben Sadie. He bottled Cinsault in 2009 and was the first to do so. Today, there are 40-plus producers specialized in the grape. The Pofadder opens to aromas of rose potpourri, iris, botanical garden and something that reminds me of a Turkish spice bazaar. The fruit comes from a very productive site on iron-rich and slate formations, and the trick is to keep yields under control. Not many expressions of the grape have this level of depth and texture. The Sadie Family farms four Cinsault vineyards. "Like a puppy, it's the only grape that barks back," says Eben Sadie.
The 2023 Pofadder, 100% Cinsault planted in schist, has a floral bouquet: white flowers, rose petals, bright wild strawberry and cranberry, with a little more mineralité than the Soldaat. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red fruit. It’s perhaps the most tensile of any Pofadder I’ve tasted, culminating in a linear finish with life-affirming frisson. There is an effortless brilliance about this Pofadder—even better than last year's offering.