Sadie Family - Cinsault Pofadder 2020
Price: $79.96
| Producer | Sadie Family |
| Country | South Africa |
| Varietal | Other Red Grapes |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Sku | 600454 |
| Size | 750ml |
Eben Saide could be South Africa’s best winemaker. That probably makes him the best winemaker you’ve never heard of. Let that injustice be no more! Working in the unfashionable Swartland, Eben helped establish the area as a premium region using mostly Rhône varieties with his first vintage, 1999. The Pofadder is all Cinsault from his Pofadder vineyard. The vineyard takes its name from a venomous type of snake that make this vineyard their home. The vines here are over 45 years old. Eben notes that Cinsault used to have a more prominent role in wines of the past. He describes it as a ‘workhorse’ that plays a significant role in some of the world’s great blends. Eben’s version is 100% Cinsault. Working with this grape is tough but it demonstrates the skills that Eben possesses. He notes that the vine’s drought resistance and the subsequent wine’s bright and pure fruits are worth the overly zealous vigor of the vine. So too is the attention that has to be paid to it to prevent oxidation. Eben ferments this wine in concrete with 50% whole clusters followed by an 11 month aging on the lees in 28 year old oak barrels. Run that back. Yes, Eben’s barrels are 28 years old! These older than old barrels help protect the wine from oxidation because of the saturation of wine within the staves’ fibers.
