Darling Cinsault | 44-Year-Old Dry-Farmed Bush Vines | Duncan Savage
The Savage Follow The Line 2025 is one of Duncan Savage’s most distinctive and sought-after red wines, produced from old-vine Cinsault grown in Darling on South Africa’s windswept West Coast.
The 2025 comes from a 44-year-old dry-farmed bush-vine vineyard planted on decomposed granite. The vineyard sits on a south-facing slope exposed to the prevailing south-easterly winds coming off the cold Atlantic Ocean. These conditions help retain freshness and acidity while the mature vines provide concentration and complexity.
For the 2025 vintage, Follow The Line is 100% Cinsault, fermented with 50% whole bunches before spending a year in a combination of older foudre and amphora. At 13% ABV, this is an elegant, perfumed and deceptively structured expression of Cinsault rather than a heavy or extracted red.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Bright ruby-red with translucent crimson highlights, reflecting the naturally lighter colour and elegant structure of Cinsault.
Nose: Beautifully perfumed and immediately expressive, with strawberry, red cherry, rose petals and violets at the forefront. Subtle dried herbs, spice and granite-derived mineral notes emerge underneath, giving the wine considerably more complexity than its delicate appearance initially suggests.
Palate: Light-footed yet remarkably structured. Pure red cherry and strawberry fruit is supported by fresh acidity and fine, gently gripping tannins. Whole-bunch fermentation introduces subtle herbal and spicy complexity, while the old-vine fruit gives the mid-palate surprising depth.
Finish: Long, fresh and precise, with lingering red berries, floral perfume, delicate spice and a characteristic granitic freshness.
Technical Details
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Producer: Savage Wines
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Winemaker: Duncan Savage
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Vintage: 2025
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Country: South Africa
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Region: Darling
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Variety: 100% Cinsault
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Vine Age: 44 years
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Vine Training: Bush vines
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Farming: Dry-farmed
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Soils: Decomposed granite
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Aspect: South-facing slope
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Fermentation: Spontaneous fermentation
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Whole Bunch: 50%
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Skin Contact: Approximately 2 weeks
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Pressing: Basket pressed
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Maturation: 12 months
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Maturation Vessels: Older foudre & amphora
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Alcohol: 13% ABV
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Residual Sugar: 2.1 g/L
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Total Acidity: 4.8 g/L
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pH: 3.71
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Bottle Size: 750ml
Vineyard & Winemaking
The character of Follow The Line begins with its remarkable Darling vineyard. The 44-year-old dry-farmed Cinsault bush vines grow in decomposed granite on a south-facing slope exposed to powerful cooling winds from the Atlantic.
Fruit is meticulously sorted both in the vineyard and again at the winery. The 2025 underwent 50% whole-bunch spontaneous fermentation, with gentle extraction and approximately two weeks on the skins.
After fermentation, the wine was basket pressed before spending a year in older foudre and amphora. This deliberately neutral maturation regime avoids masking Cinsault's delicate perfume with new-oak flavours.
Cellaring Potential
Don't be fooled by Cinsault's relatively pale colour and delicate perfume. Duncan Savage specifically notes that the variety's apparent "lightness" should not be underestimated, and the 2025 has the structure to develop for up to 10 years.
It should be beautifully expressive in its youth, while bottle ageing will gradually introduce more savoury, earthy and dried-floral complexity.
Food Pairing
Serve slightly cool at around 14–16°C. Its combination of red fruit, perfume and moderate alcohol makes it exceptionally food friendly.
Try it with roast duck, pork belly, lamb, charcuterie, grilled chicken, mushroom dishes or Cape Malay-spiced dishes. It can also be enjoyed on its own slightly chilled during warmer weather.
Buyer's & Collector's Note
Follow The Line is one of the wines that demonstrates just how serious South African Cinsault can be. Rather than treating the variety as a simple light red or blending component, Duncan Savage uses old, dry-farmed vines and extremely restrained winemaking to produce a wine capable of genuine complexity and ageing.
The 2025 vintage is particularly interesting because it is 100% Cinsault, sourced from a single 44-year-old Darling vineyard and matured without the flavour influence of new oak.
For those who enjoy wines such as Sadie Family Pofadder, Rall Cinsault or Van Loggerenberg Geronimo, Savage Follow The Line 2025 is an excellent addition to the cellar — perfumed, elegant and deceptively serious.
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