Cinsault has always had a place in South Africa’s wine making history, hidden in the background but bringing the backbone to the table reds that today have become iconic for their ability to age. The most famous of these wines, lovingly(?) nicknamed Chateau Middleclass is the Chateau Libertas. Ambiguous is the blend but today we know Cinsault did the majority of the work here in this punchy red blend. It brought acidity, plush red fruit, freshness, floral notes and fine tannins to the wine but yet its individual characteristics felt lost and overwhelmed by the other varieties mixed into the blend. It seems its love child, Pinotage, has in fact been gaining all the traction in South Africa over the past 5 years, sometimes for the wrong reasons (let’s not talk about coffee) but now moving towards a force for good. Looking at Sawis’ research we can see that Cinsault plantings have decreased by 1133 hectres in a 10 year period from 2004 to 2014 yet Pinotage has increased by 694 hectres. Pity. I was chatting with UK based journalist Jamie Goode on Wednesday and when he said “Cinsault is South Africa’s most important grape variety” I knew it wasn’t just myself feeling the waves of change happening in South Africa.

This workhorse grape has upheld fantastic South African red blends: AA Badenhorst for example, but it wasn’t until Eben Sadie’s Pofadder in 2009, forming part of his Ouwingerdreeks series, that Cinsault was truely given a platform to shine on its own – this was the changing point. Pofadder is nervey, with its powdery, chalky tannins and pink musk perfume it was a new approach to Cinsault. Since Eben’s release there has been a new wave of Cinsaults popping up in South Africa, what took so long I wonder? Rather than blending this grape away winemakers have allowed this grape to show we are capable of making elegant, deceptively light red wines with fresh acidity and low alcohol. A job surely Pinot Noir is capable of doing in South Africa, but with its ability to withstand the heat, there is something just a little bit more wild and robust about Cinsault, as Africa is itself, perhaps. Cinsault works well as a whole bunch ferment; with stems; in concrete; in barrels… the possibilities are endless, to the benefit of the customer and the excitement of the winemaker. Cinsault is providing a new and exciting platform for people to explore.

I recently tried the Skylark Cinsault 2014 made by AD Wines from the Darling region. A whole bunch, natural approach helps to capture the lilac and boiled sweet nose with hints of pink pepper and marzipan. Whilst this might sound ovIMG_5891erwhelmingly pretty, the palate is balanced with a salty, iodine quality. On the second day the tannins started to appear with powdery, almost raw ginger-like bite. A week (yes 1 week) after the wine was opened the tannins had smooth out and a new complexity of cherry cola, raspberry coulis and parma ham richness appeared. At a mere 12% alcohol South Africa once again shows how we can cover a wide variety of winemaking techniques.

The Saffraan Cinsaut 2014 is very much along the same profile except the vineyards are located in the Swartland and the profile a little more savoury with red liquorice, anise and white pepper spice followed again with a raspberry and parma violet perfume. The Saffraan has a weighty mid-palate but those unmistakable fine grippy and chalky tannins are telling. Not only are we seeing Cinsault stand on its own but we are now seeing regional differences with Darling, Swartland and even Somerset West in the limelight with Waterkloof’s Seriously Cool Cinsault. South African Cinsault has the capability of being as nervey and ethereal as the Jura but with our own heritage, personality and flare that makes South African wine so interesting. Where else in the world are we seeing Cinsault stand alone – South Africa is onto something completely unique here.

I was fortunate enough to taste two mature eIMG_5636xamples of Cinsault recently – the Chateau Libertas 1994 and the Stellenbosch Farmer’s Wineries Cinsaut 1972 and both have defied age. Taut, fresh, supple and still with plenty of cranberry, red fruit to offer. When reading Cinsault tasting notes it almost has the ability to sound underwhelming and two-dimensional, but there is a certain je ne sais quoi about the wines that really have to be experienced. Cinsault of the past is well worth seeking out and today’s Cinsault revival is definitely something to be excited about. Eben often says Cinsault is the brother in jail that nobody in the family talks about… maybe so, but he’s out now and we certainly all want to hear the stories he has to tell.

Single Cinsaults worth trying:
Skylark – 2014 – Darling
Waterkloof Seriously Cool Cinsault – 2014 – Somerset West R100*
Leeuwenkuil Cinsault – 2014 – Swartland R98
Mount Abora Saffraan – 2014 – Swartland R110
Eben Sadie Ouwingerdreeks Pofadder
And keep a look out for Adi Badenhorst’s CWG Ramnasgras Cinsault

Cinsault in a blend:
Duncan Savage Follow The Line (58% Cinsault) – 2014 – Western Cape
The Blacksmith Vin Noir (59% Cinsault) – 2014 – R150 (with a 100% Cinsault in the pipeline to be released later this year)
Swerwer Red Blend (56% Cinsault) – 2014 – Swartland R175
Chateau Libertas (?% Cinsault) – get to the Distel Vinoteque, grab an old vintage and enjoy…

 

*prices taken from www.winecellar.co.za

[Category: Articles, Cinsault, Cinsaut, Eben Sadie, Mount Abora, South Africa]


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