Sadie Family, Treinspoor Swartland 2021

96 points Vinous
"The 2021 Treinspoor is Sadie's Tinta Barocca that the man himself likens to Nebbiolo, also opining that it is a wine that needs considerable ageing. These vines were planted in 1974, and the blend includes 40% whole clusters. It has a complex, succinctly defined bouquet with melted tar and graphite infused dark red berry fruit, a hint of Lapsant Souchong. The palate is medium-bodied with plant tannins, perfectly-tuned acidity, almost Burgundian in texture yet with more pepperiness towards the finish. So elegant and harmonious-this is stunning from every angle you look at it."

95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"Made from Tinto Barocca, the 2021 Old Vine Series Treinspoor is instantly impressive in the glass with a fresh frame of dark red fruits that sways with just-ripe plum and dark cherry skin essences. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is muscular with a gripping tannic edge that reveals devastating beauty and picturesque, spiced plum and dusty florals across the mid-palate. The wine loosens and uncoils as it sits in the mouth before ending with a fresh, fruited, slightly spicy finish that lingers with a tight graphite sensation."

Vinous Reverie Notes
The Sadie Family Wines are some of the finest currently made in South Africa. Eben Sadie has earned his reputation as an innovator, and founded Sadie Family Wines in 1999, after establishing his career in both South Africa and wineries across the world. In the 23 years since, the winery has become synonymous with South Africa's wine innovation, particularly in the Swartland. He was one of the first to focus on creating wines that express their area, or a single vineyard, rather than blending extensively across regions. This may seem commonplace now, but that is purely because Eben led the charge in the late 1990s whilst influencing an entire generation to come. Trienspoor is a wine that showcases how well Portuguese varieties can perform in South Africa. Tinta Barocca has historically been used to produce port, or port-like wines, but Eben knows it is capable of so much more: 'Tinta Barocca is a grape that carries the soil into the bottle, it is a great communicator of terroir'. Tasting Notes: The 2021 Trienspoor is spicy and moneral, with rich earthy aromas and enticing notes of graphite, slate and blackcurrant. It's a powerful wine that needs time in bottle to soften its tannins, but undoubtedly rewards patience for those willing to wait.