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Old Vine Series. “It’s a Swartland thing”, notes Sadie of Tinta Barocca (the S.A. spelling has only one ‘r’ and two ‘c’s). This variety arrived in South Africa from the Douro and has found an opportune home in the Western Cape. Historically Tinta das Baroccas (as it was once labelled) has always played a prominent role in Swartland’s red blends, but the interest in the variety—particularly from old, dry-grown vineyards—has really spiked in recent years.
This vineyard, planted in 1974 and located next to the old railway line (treinspoor), lies four kilometres west of Malmesbury on decomposed granite and sandstone. Sadie notes that while the very fragile, thin skin of Tinta Barocca is prone to sunburn, the old bush vines of this site keep the bunches sheltered from the intense Swartland sun. Sadie likens his Treinspoor to a sort of stylistic cross between Northern Rhône Syrah (blackberry/currant fruit, plushness and nettles) and Piemontese Nebbiolo, (spice, florals, acidity and tannins): “It has Piedmont-like tannins and Northern Rhône aromatics”. Fermented in concrete and raised for 12 months in large cask, it’s an outstanding, idiosyncratic red of great beauty and character.