Winemaker Notes
The wine holds massive volumes of bright-red fruit and lifted aromatics; and upon smelling the wine the expectation is that it would be very soft on the pallet – but then firm tannins are met.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Beginning with a lighter and lifted nose, the 2020 Old Vine Series Pofadder offers Pinot Noire-like aromas with hints of potpourri and red spice before ripe, dusty cherry skin flows out of the glass with a kiss of green herbs. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a just-ripe fruit quality with flavors of tart cherries and wild strawberries and fine mineral tension. The wine has a balanced structure yet concludes with a slightly tannic and drying finish. Give it one more year of bottle age, then drink through 2038.
Rating:92+
A charmer in the Southern Rhône Valley, Cinsault thrives in any hot and windy climate, and finds success in many other countries. It is a parent grape alongside Pinot Noir, of South Africa’s acclaimed red grape, Pinotage. Somm Secret—Given its relatively long history in California, Cinsualt is often “hidden” in the Zinfandel blends of Sonoma and Contra Costa Counties. Historically planted alongside Zinfandel (with Petite Sirah and Mourvedre) in the same vineyard, Cinsault is now an essential part of many “field blends.”
Literally meaning "the black land," Swartland takes its name from the endangered, indigenous "renosterbos" (translating to rhino bush), which used to be plentiful enough to turn the entire landscape a dark color certain during times of year. The district, attracting some of the most adventurous and least interventionist winemakers, excels in robust and full-bodied reds as well as quality fortified wines.