The 2024 Sadie Family Swartland Pofadder is a beautifully pure and hauntingly elegant expression of old-vine Cinsault from one of South Africa’s most iconic producers. Crafted by Eben Sadie from a single 1973-planted dry-farmed vineyard in Riebeeksrivier on the Kasteelberg Mountain, the wine comes from iron-rich slate and decomposed shale soils that give Pofadder its distinctive mineral tension and aromatic lift. Fermented with around 30% whole bunches and aged in old conical wooden casks that impart no oak flavour, the 2024 vintage is notably more open and fruit-forward in youth, with softer tannins and exceptional balance early in its life.
The nose reveals wild strawberry, rosehip and red cherry layered alongside rosemary, peppercorn and delicate oriental spice, giving the wine remarkable perfume and finesse. On the palate, it is medium-bodied with silky tannins, vibrant natural acidity and a finely etched mineral core. Layers of bright red fruit, citrus rind and savoury herbal complexity unfold with beautiful energy and transparency, finishing long, poised and beautifully persistent with exceptional purity and freshness. Critics have praised the wine’s “haunting schist-derived aromas,” “racy mineral-etched core” and seamless tannin structure, with Tim Atkin MW awarding 96 points and James Suckling 95 points.
Ben’s Recommendation:
The 2024 Sadie Family Pofadder is a world-class expression of Swartland Cinsault — perfumed, mineral and beautifully refined with extraordinary elegance and drinkability. Perfect lightly chilled with roast duck, lamb, charcuterie, grilled vegetables or refined Mediterranean cuisine. Enjoy now with decanting or cellar gracefully through 2038+.
