Expert's Choice: South Africa Cinsault – the 30 wines to try

Blazing a trail up South Africa ’s west coast, viticulturist Jaco Engelbrecht is on his way to Skerpioen, the sprawling old bush-vine vineyard rooted on white sand-limestone soils that produces the namesake Chenin Blanc -Palomino blend made by Eben Sadie for his Sadie Family Wines label. And right next to Skerpioen, in this arid coastal desert, Engelbrecht says he’s recently planted five rows of bush-vine Cinsault for Sadie. Scroll down for tasting notes and scores of 30 South Africa Cinsault wines to try [subscriber-content]This isn’t surprising, given that Sadie’s old-vine, single-vineyard Pofadder red (see tasting notes below) was the catalyst for Cinsault’s fine wine reemergence in the Cape when it was released in 2009. Since then, more premium bottlings have joined it to form a tiny but impactful string of serious South African Cinsaults. ‘The challenge is, what do you do with it when the vines are young?’ Engelbrecht asks rhetorically. He says Cinsault only produces premium fruit as an older vine, and not many growers are willing to make the long-term economic commitment. ‘Cinsault is also difficult to manage. It’s not an upright grower, it can be sloppy; it quickly over-crops. Bush vines naturally limit the grape’s high productivity, but even then you need to crop it by almost 50%.’ And he admits: ‘Even though I’m a big advocate for Grenache in the Cape, the potential of old-vine Cinsault surpasses it.’ Respected viticulturist Rosa Kruger, recipient of the Decanter Hall of Fame 2022 award (the first South African so honoured), agrees that Cinsault is not an easy variety. ‘Even when the vines are older, the big leaves and bunches are prone to sunburn,’ she says. ‘Though it has a great future if handled properly in the vineyard.’ This finicky nature goes a long way to explaining why planting numbers are dwindling, in comparison to Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc , Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah . SAWIS industry data for 2022 shows there are 1,694ha of Cinsault in the ground – the majority in Paarl and Breedekloof – compared to a total of 1,980ha in 2011. However, just 145ha of this is deemed ‘old vine’ (35 years or older, as specified by Kruger’s Old Vine Project organisation) – though this does include South Africa’s oldest vineyard: a Wellington block dating to 1900. Stellenbosch, Swartland and Paarl have the most significant old-vine Cinsault holdings, the former two particularly important for premium expressions. And increasingly in demand is fruit from the coastal ward of Darling, where special pockets of ocean-influenced grapes make some of the Cape’s best Cinsault wines. Then and now From its origins in southern France, Cinsault is believed to have arrived in South Africa in the 1850s, under the guise of ‘Hermitage’. The grape’s true identity was only revealed almost a century later. Before that it caught the eye of Professor Abraham Perold, head of viticulture at Stellenbosch University who, in 1925, crossed it with Pinot Noir to produce South Africa’s own Pinotage . Fast-forward to 1969 and Cinsault claimed some 13% of SA vineyards, compared to Chenin Blanc at 27% and Palomino at 16%, according to local wine authority Michael Fridjhon. By the 1970s, Cinsault assumed workhorse status as the nation’s most widely planted red grape, used prolifically (as were other hardy varieties) to resuscitate vineyards that had been decimated by phylloxera back in the late 19th century. High-yielding, the glut was used to bulk out and soften varietal bottlings of more expensive Cabernet Sauvignon, undisclosed on the label. Cinsault also had practical uses, literally being used to lubricate Cabernet’s tiny berries through the press. This practice became so widespread that many farmers planted some Cinsault vines at the end of rows for co-harvesting. Though plantings may be at something of an impasse, and old-vine plots a hot commodity, Cinsault quality as well as the number of premium bottlings continues to rise. This is largely due to the star quality of the winemakers who are interested in it. Cinsault champions include Duncan Savage, Eben Sadie, Alex Milner, Donovan Rall, Adi Badenhorst and Andrea Mullineux, plus a growing cohort of rising stars. Their winemaking approach is undeniably new wave. Producers generally eschew new oak barrels and heavy-handed techniques in favour of more minimalist, low- intervention methods such as wild-yeast fermentation and old-oak ageing. When mining for rare Cinsault jewels you’ll find rubied wines of startling complexity. Though big-berried on the vine, Cinsault is capable of delivering texture and tannin. The finer examples are light to medium-bodied, with moderately low alcohols. The best manage to balance Cinsault’s exotic aromas and red-fruited generosity with vivid acidity and tactile dryness. [/subscriber-content] South Africa Cinsault: 30 to try [wine-collection] Related articles Cinsault: South Africa’s new star from old vines Expert’s choice: Valpolicella Expert’s choice: Moulis & Listrac

PREMIUM

Expert’s Choice: South Africa Cinsault – the 30 wines to try

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores of 30 South Africa Cinsault wines to try

South Africa Cinsault: 30 to try

Related articles

Cinsault: South Africa’s new star from old vines

Expert’s choice: Valpolicella

Expert’s choice: Moulis & Listrac

Latest Wine News

A Spectacular Day at the 27th DFWE London

Scotch producer claims Guinness World Record for ‘The Greatest Variety of Flavours in a Whisky’

French protests: Growers block motorway and hijack lorries containing Spanish wine

Baudains: Are old vines important?

Trump returns: The impact on the US wine industry

Latest Premium Content

Languedoc whites: Panel tasting results

Gimblett Gravels: From wasteland to celebrated wine region

Rare Champagne masterclass: DFWE London 2024

Château Cantenac Brown: Margaux’s latest rising star

Château Lafite and Long Dai masterclass: DFWE Singapore 2024