Nestled next to the Breede River in the Cape South Coast in the little holiday town of Malgas, is where David Trafford bravely diversified his winemaking portfolio and planted some vines. The soils and low rainfall out there make for some extreme viticulture, producing wines with unique intensity and depth.
Figure1: Alluvial deposits, affectionately known as ‘pudding stones’
Figure2: Bokkeveld shale
Charla Bosman, winemaker and viticulturist, joined David Trafford in 2014 and runs the show. A tasting of wines during our visit, straight out of barrel while Charla talked animatedly about the recent harvest, promises a bright future for Sijnn wines and her career. Her infectious energy and down to earth manner certainly show in her wines. What makes these wines so special is how raw and honest they are. They show purity, place and incredible detail. Old, Large format barrels are used, allowing purity of fruit to shine in driving the wine.
We were kindly hosted by Charla and David for the night next to the expansive, winding Breede river, not far from the cellar and were plied with a few bottles to sample. We lit a fire and cracked a bottle of 2012 Sijnn Red, a field blend of Syrah, Trincadeira and Touriga Nacional. As we sipped and swirled the first glass of this fine wine we listened to the birds chattering as they settled down for the night, and the whirring of a tractor in a field somewhere on the other side of the river. Like all the other wines of Sijnn, this wine was tight and needed some time to open-up. If you have access to a decanter, give this wine some air and some time before polishing off the bottle. There is incredible intensity of black fruit and perfumed white pepper which carries this wine to a finish of sour cherry. The palate is driven by a core of dense fruit, supported by savouriness and chewy tannins. Our fresh salad and medium rare rump steaks seared on the braai, was a perfect match for this wine, we just wished the bottle was bigger!
To buy their wines, visit their website (https://sijnn.co.za/buy-wine/) or make an appointment and visit Sijnn, it is worth the effort and the drive. A word of caution however, the road from the N2 down to the river is where many tires have gone to die. Make sure you have a spare available and don’t even think about it if you have low profiles. These are wines and a special story that is not to be missed!
Article credit: Winemaker Alex McFarlane
