2015 Treinspoor
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Tasting notes
(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.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
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.
About the producer
Since he started making wine under his own name in 2000, Eben Sadie became a cult name in South Africa. The Swartland producer is best known for his flagship Columella and Palladius, but he also makes a range of whites and reds under the Old Vine Series, which became the District Series in 2025.