In the rolling granite hills of the Paardeberg, Adi Badenhorst continues to create some of the most characterful wines the Swartland. His Ramnasgras Cinsault is a profound expression of this place – a wine that leans on history, trusts its fruit, and speaks in fine detail rather than in bold strokes.
The fruit for this wine comes from a dry-farmed bushvine vineyard planted in 1956, rooted in decomposed granite soils. The vineyard, named Ramnasgras, is tucked into the Swartland’s rugged terrain and is naturally low-yielding, producing small, concentrated berries. In keeping with Badenhorst’s minimal intervention philosophy, the 2022 vintage was hand-harvested and fermented with around 20% whole clusters, using only indigenous yeasts. The wine spent about a year ageing in large old foudres before being bottled with low sulphur and no fining or filtration.
Ramnasgras Cinsault 2022 (A.A. Badenhorst)
Pale ruby with a translucent core. The nose is fragrant and inviting, with scents of redcurrant, rosehip, pomegranate and sweet spice, underpinned by a gentle earthiness and a whiff of crushed herbs. On the palate, it is light in body but with a beautiful clarity of fruit and texture – bright, tangy red berries glide over fine, powdery tannins, while a savoury minerality brings balance and length. The alcohol is modest at around 11.5%, but the wine does not feel slight – rather, it is poised and precise, with energy.
Price: Low