Provenance

Wine Cellar Private Client

Critics Ratings

2015:
'Located in the cooler, Darling side of the Swartland on sandy-loam soils, this is a rare outing for Tinta Barocca as a dry red in the Cape. Showing the tannins that make it such a good variety for fortified wines, it's mineral, dry and firm, with bright acidity, redcurrant and raspberry fruit and the concentration to age. Drink: 2016-22' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2016, 94/100

'How much to expect from single-variety Tinta Barocca? This wine is from a Swartland vineyard planted in 1974 and the first impression the nose of the 2015 gives is a subtle meatiness and then flowers, red fruit, spice and white pepper. The palate shows good flavour intensity, fresh acidity and fine tannins. It's a striking wine on account of its fruit purity but it's not particularly detailed, at least not at this stage.' - Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 92/100

'(from old bush vines planted in 1974; 100% whole-bunch fermentation; aged in concrete and one wooden cask): Bright, full red. Wild, leathery scents of red and darker berries and licorice are a bit rustic in a positive, soil-driven way. Concentrated, chewy, slightly dusty wine with leather and game low notes to go along with the higher-pitched red berries and flowers. Reminded me a bit of a funky grower Beaujolais but a good one. Turns a bit dry on the back end, but this is an utterly unique wine. '- Neal Martin, Vinous, 91/100

'The 2015 Old Vine Series Treinspoor, Eben's Tinta Barocca cuvée, which he said has "the biggest passport in South Africa" since the grape has been grown there for a long time for fortified wine production, has a lucid ruby color. Eben told me that it is actually one of his most difficult sells but I am of the opinion that it is one of his best wines. Darker in colur than then other OVS labels, it has a captivating bouquet with raspberry, cranberry leaf, tobacco and damp wet clayey aromas. The palate has firm tannin that Eben compared to Piedmont, which I can understand. The acidity is beautifully judged with killer salinity and mineralité on the finish that both linger in the mouth. This is an outstanding South African wine.' - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 96/100 (Apr 2017)

2016:
'Enticing, with black cherry and blackberry fruit racing along, underscored by light brambly grip, hints of dried anise and black tea notes. A sleek iron detail cuts through the finish, leaving a mouthwatering feel. Tinta Barocca. Drink now through 2021.' - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, 92/100 (Feb 2018)

'Made from 42 year old Tinta Barocca sourced from a vineyard in the Swartland, the 2016 new release appears to have reached a nouveau of quality not seen before for this variety in South Africa. This latest bottling rides on a wave of lifted perfumed perfection, with intense red cherry pastille, parma violets, rose water and sweet jasmine all mingling with seductive, piecing red and black bramble berry fruits. The palate shows a vibrant focus and purity of fruit I don't recall ever seeing to this degree on this wine before. There are lashings of sweet cherry sherbet bon bons, pink musk sweets, red currant confit , purple nastergal (African nightshade berry), and tart Victoria plums. Wonderful concentration, palate tingling acidity freshness and superb harmonious depth. The 'poor cousin' in the Old Vine Series has just hit the jackpot and is riding high. Drink now to 2030+' - Greg Sherwood MW, 96/100 (Jul 2017)

'Located next to an old railway line, four kilometres to the west of Malmesbury, this vineyard makes a rare varietal Tinta Barocca. Serious, compact and slightly wild, it's a savoury, slightly austere number with a firm, chewy finish. True to the variety. 2019-25' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2017, 93/100

'100% Tinta Barocca from 42-year-old vines. Immediately interesting and you feel the grape has been wrestled into submission. A ittle dry and without massive fruit weight in the middle, but competent.' - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 16.5/20 (Jun 2017)

2017:
'From 44 year old unirrigated bushvine tinta barocca beside old railway line (treinspoor), 2017 variety's signature orange zest & pot-pourri aromatics, bright acidity, lattice-like tannins. Uncompromisingly dry & totally captivating.' - Platter's SA Wine Guide 2019, 4.5* (92/100)

'Ever a one to make bold statements, Eben Sadie calls Tinta Barocca "the best grape in the Swartland". This is certainly a brilliant red, bristling with attitude and daring you not to enjoy it. Grippy, serious and made to age, with plum and damson fruit and tarry, savoury tannins. A red to tuck away for a while. 2022-30' - Tim Atkin SA Special Report 2018, 95/100

'From Swartland Tinta Barocca planted in 1974. A very attractive nose with notes of herbs and flowers plus a certain twiginess before cranberry and mulberry while pure fruit, fresh acidity and grippy tannins on the palate make for a super-sexy drop. Alcohol: 13%.' - Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 93/100 (Nov 2018)

'The 2017 Treinspoor is pure Tinta Barocca, which Eben opined is the most exciting grape at the moment, matured for one year in foudres. It has a very well defined bouquet, almost Barolo-like, with touches of dried flowers and rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and wonderfully balanced, creating real tension from start to finish and featuring touches of bay leaf and tea leaf toward the poised but sustained finish. Superb.' - Neal Martin, Vinous, 93/100 (Aug 2018)

2018:
'Treinspoor comes from a vineyard close to the railway line on the Darling side of theSwartland. It was especially crucial to get the picking date right in 2018, according to Paul Jordaan, but he and Eben Sadie nailed it. Showing the classic grip and square-jawed gruffness of Tinta Barocca, but with intense, savoury damson and tobacco flavours and ageworthy tannic structure.' - Tim Atkin SA Special Report 2019, 96/100

'The 2018 Treinspoor is pure Tinta Barocca from Swartland aged in old foudres. Its perfumed bouquet is much more floral than the pofadder, with incense and pressed iris flower infusing the red berry fruit, and displays wonderful energy and precision. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and a crisp, quite saline finish that lingers long in the mouth. I noticed it tightening up in the glass, and maybe this will shut down for a while, so drink soon or cellar for several years.' Neal Martin, Vinous, 95/100 (Oct 2019)

2019:
"The greatest grape for the Swartland," says Eben Sadie of Tinta Barocca, unconcerned that no one seems to agree with him. Treinspoor can be hard to like in its youth, but not in 2019. Yes, it has grunt and density, but it's also savoury, aromatic and perfumed, like a cross between a Nebbiolo and north ern Rhône Syrah, all tar, liquorice, blackberry, charcuterie and racy, refreshing acidity. 2023-35' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2020, 96/100

'The 2019 Treinspoor, 80% whole-cluster Tinta Barocca matured in old foudre, presents a crisp, well-defined bouquet of blackberry, briar and wild fennel scents, gaining intensity all the time in the glass. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity. Taut and crisp, almost pixelated in style, leading to a sensual, mulberry-tinged finish. Very elegant and refined. 2022-2038' - Neal Martin, Vinous, 93/100 (Apr 2021)

'From Swartland Tinta Barocca. Exotic aromatics with notes of dried herbs, lavender, liquorice and earth in addition to go with dark, slightly jammy fruit. The palate is medium bodied and just about fresh enough, the tannins quite smooth. Not sure of rustic appeal but a bit off the pace relative to its stablemates.' - Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 91/100 (Feb 2021)

2020:
"We're doing an enormous amount of work in the vineyard to recuperate it," says Eben Sadie of his beloved Tinta Barocca, "and trying to extract less in the winery." Showing its classic grip and tannins, this has damson, liquorice and tar-like flavours and aromas, appealingly rustic tannins and the structure to age. Nebbiolo meets Syrah.'- Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2021, 96/100

'Delightfully juicy in the glass, the 2020 Old Vine Series Treinspoor offers ripe, spiced plum notes with a pleasurable mineral edge and nuances of black raspberry and sweet tobacco, with an undercurrent of charming dark red fruit tones. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is compact and precise, with a firm, tannic edge that will remain food-friendly for years to come. This delicious and complex wine continues to unpack and reveal its complexities over the elongated and juicy finish. It's gorgeous in every sense of the word.' - Anthony Mueller, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 93/100 (June 2022)

2021:
'The 2021 Treinspoor is Sadie's Tinta Barocca that them man itself 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 berry fruit, a hint of Lapsang Souchong. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant 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.' - Neal Martin, Vinous, 96/100 (Aug 2022)

'"I want to go even darker," says Eben Sadie of this Tinta Barocca, which is a favoured red with the winemaking team. "People have had enough strawberry and raspberry." This is inky, tarry and intense, with grippy tannins, layers of damson and black cherry, some steak tartare and a lift of spices from whole bunches.'- Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2022, 95/100

'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.''- Anthony Mueller, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 95/100 (Dec 2022)