2020 Sadie Family Palladius
| Type of Wine | White |
|---|---|
| Country | South Africa |
| Region | |
| Appellation | Swartland (Appellation) |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Grape | , , , , Roussane, |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (14%) |
| Drink window | 2023 - 2048 |
Low Stock
Only 3 left
Description
Palladius is the top model among the white wines of the Sadie Family. It is a blend of 17 vineyards in Paardeberg: 13 vineyards with a granite subsurface and 4 vineyards with sandstone. It is a blend of and hold on to: Chenin Blanc, Garnacha Blanca, Marsanne, Palomino, Roussanne, Verdello and a little Viognier. Everything is picked by hand and pressed in an authentic traditional press, after which the juice is placed directly in concrete (concrete eggs) and amphorae, after which the wine is first allowed to mature quietly on its lees. After this, the wine is transferred to large, used oak barrels so that the wood influence is minimal. The fermentation is only with native yeasts and without additives. Fermentation stops spontaneously (sometimes only after 20 months). After 2 years the wine is bottled without being clarified or filtered.
The Palladius from is pale gold in color. The nose is youthful with an important underlying mineral essence among the aromas of waxy citrus blossom, lemongrass and honeycomb, melon and yellow apple peel. Medium-bodied, elegant and complex at 13.5% alcohol, the wine is majestic on the palate and has a mineral tension, a waxy and textural mouthfeel and a great phenolic bitterness to keep this top gastronomic wine great for many years to come. Parker ends his review: "T he wine glides to an impeccable, long-lingering and spicy finish with persistent elements of citrus and soft notions of sautéed almonds. I might have to finish the glass"
FACT: In the 'Attachments' tab you will find the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. We will send this to you automatically when you order this wine. The wine is stored in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you pick up the wine you will often receive a nice discount . You will see your discount immediately when you choose 'Collect' on the checkout page. We are located in Dordrecht almost next to the A16 with plenty of parking. Click here for our address.
Specifications
| Type of Wine | White |
|---|---|
| Country | South Africa |
| Region | Western Cape |
| Appellation | Swartland (Appellation) |
| Winery | Sadie Family |
| Grape | Chenin Blanc, Garnacha, Grenache, Palomino, Roussane, Viognier |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Drinking as of | 2023 |
| Drinking till | 2048 |
| Alcohol % | 14 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 99 |
| James Suckling rating | 96 |
| Vinous rating | 96 |
| Tasting Profiles | Aromatisch, Bloemig, Droog, Fruitig, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Rijk, Rond, Steenfruit, Vol, Wit fruit |
| Drink moments | Met vrienden, Summer party, Terras |
Professional Reviews
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 95
Reviewed by:
Anthony Mueller
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2022 - 2045
Delivering aromas of lemon oil, raw honeycomb, wax melon and underripe peach skin, the 2019 Palladius is gorgeous on the nose, with a delightful floral lift and dusty nuance. Medium-bodied on the palate, the wine offers notions of dusty honeysuckle, underripe peach skin and citrus blossom along with lovely mineral tension and a kiss of phenolic bitterness. This will remain food-friendly until its 20th birthday. Every time I try these wines, they never seem to fail to deliver pleasure. Absolutely stunning!
Published: Jun 09, 2022
The Wine Advocate
RP 99
Reviewed by:
Anthony Mueller
Release Price:
$145
Drink Date:
2025 - 2045
Toeing the line to triple digits, the 2021 Palladius is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Sémillon, Colombard, Verdellho and Palomino. Instantly impressive in the glass, the wine is bold with waxy aromas that sway with seductive notes of lemon pastry cream, dusty melon and citrus blossoms. Medium-bodied and with 13.7% alcohol, the palate is succulent and bright with fantastic acid and displays a kiss of phenolic bitterness that beams with focus and precision. Subtle notes of beeswax and lees drive the finish with immense complexity and considerable weight. The aftertaste summersaults with complexity, offering fresh and bright citrus notes with notions of dusty flowers. It will remain food friendly for decades. It's devastatingly beautiful and cerebral. 12,400 bottles were produced after the grapes were whole-bunch pressed and rested in concrete and amphora.
Published: Dec 29, 2023
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
SADIE FAMILY SWARTLAND PALLADIUS 2021
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
CountrySouth Africa
RegionCoastal Region
Vintage2021
CHECK PRICE
DOWNLOAD SHELFTALKER
Score
96
This is showing aromas of waxed lemons, thyme, grapefruit rind, mango stones, apricots, white flowers and sea shells. Seductively supple, fresh, with bright acidity and a seashell-like minerality. Sophisticated, seamless blend that makes you think. Holding back a little at the moment. Blend of 35% chenin blanc, with equal parts of marsanne, roussanne, clairette, colombard, viognier, verdelho, palomino, grenache blanc, grenache gris, semillon blanc and semillon gris. Try from 2024.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
96
Drinking Window
2025 - 2050
From: The A to Z of South Africa (Nov 2023)
The 2021 Palladius is aged in concrete eggs and amphora for 12 months plus 12 months in old foudre. Sadie said he is most proud of this vintage over the last decade. It has a well-defined lanolin, yellow fruit, melted candle wax and fern nose. The palate is supremely well-balanced, with a killer line of acidity counterbalancing the concentration. An underlying touch of bitter lemon and ginger surfaces towards the harmonious and persistent finish. Superb energy here.
- By Neal Martin on August 2023
No trip to the Cape would be complete without visiting Eben Sadie in Swartland. Before we tasted his 2022s, Sadie gave me a tour of his impressive new winery under construction. One thing that he or his sons, who are taking an increasing active role in the running, will be short of in the future is space. “The 2022 was a difficult vintage on paper,” Sadie explains. “All the rain fell to the south of Swartland, and so we had a hangover of drought. We didn’t have a good winter. Just after flowering, after fruit set, we reduced our crop by half, taking it down one bunch per shoot, and we thinned the shoots right down to maintain a conservative canopy management. It’s one of the benefits of having a fixed team of 26 people. Also, we have had the lowest alcohol levels ever, bringing in the fruit below 13.5% potential alcohol. I’m fascinated by the 2022s because they are way better than I thought they would be. It’s a radical and expensive vintage for us because we bottled very little. It’s been a revelation. It will be interesting to see if we can have the same levels of alcohol in a wetter year. We’ll do some trials to see if it is possible.” This is a brilliant range of 2022s under his Old Vine Series umbrella that includes one new cuvée, a pure Chenin Blanc from Swartland named Rotsbank that Sadie told me he had waited 14 years to make. The 2022 Skurfberg might well constitute the vinous highlight of my trip, consistently ranking amongst his best wines. Maybe just the Kokerboom left me wanting more. The 2021 Columella, his blend of Rhône varieties now around two decades old is wonderful, less powerful than older vintages yet imbued with greater finesse and articulating its site with greater clarity.
94
Drinking Window
2023 - 2040
From: Finding Cool Sunshine: South Africa (Apr 2021)
The 2018 Palladius is a blend of 12 grape varieties, whole-cluster-pressed and matured in clay and concrete amphorae. Only Eben Sadie can take a gallimaufry of grape varieties and create a wine of this caliber. It has a clean, pure bouquet of wax resin, pine needles, greengage plum and light chamomile scents that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is bright and vivacious on the entry and displays a wonderful waxy texture; peach skin, hazelnut and saline notes appear toward the finish. It's all about the umami.
- By Neal Martin on April 2021
It had been too long since I shot the breeze with Eben Sadie. Even though we couldn’t chat in his natural habitat, the vineyard, our Zoom conversation between Surrey and the Swartland was the next best thing. As expected, our conversation meandered to cover all manner of subjects, not only pertaining to South Africa. Eben Sadie is a contradiction in the sense that he is wedded to his homeland yet has a catholic taste in wine, as evidenced by rows of Burgundy and Barolo bottles lining his office. He began in typically philosophical form, looking back at his professional career.
“I have surpassed everything I set out to do and forged a team around me with similar capabilities. You need people to follow with the same trajectory, people that buy into your vision. It’s like a painter. You need a good studio where you feel free to practice your art. Wine is the same, but there are all these people who make it possible. We’ve gone from a staff of 10 to 25, mostly on the viticultural side. We have also acquired land, so that 80% of the vineyards are completely controlled by ourselves, even if from a financial standpoint it is much less profitable. Also, we have planted different grape varieties, which is exciting, though not all are successful.”
One intriguing exchange concerned how Sadie reassesses the modus operandi in the winery every decade. In introducing a new approach – a change in punch-downs or aging vessel, for example – he wants to pressure-test that technique under different growing seasons and/or with different people, in order to gauge if it should be a permanent feature. Since the 2019 vintage is the 20th anniversary of Sadie Family Wines, it prompted Sadie to look back. To take just one facet of winemaking, he sees the first decade as one where everything was destemmed, then a decade when whole bunch was almost mandatory. Going forward, he plans to adopt a more nuanced approach.
“Whole cluster is such a huge debate at the moment. When you look at regional specifics, areas with very cool climates producing fruit with high acidity, low pH and often very low potassium are most suited to whole bunch. [Looking back at previous vintages] we found in the first decade that there was a level and sophistication of tannin that was better than in the second decade. It feels like a textural aspect was lost. The second finding was that the Swartland being low in acidity and high in potassium in the stems, compounded by the droughts, means that I don’t think Swartland is the best place for whole cluster. Therefore, for the Old Vine Series reds, we took the whole cluster down from 90% to 50% in 2019. We don’t do punch-downs but more like a délestage, so that is what we will do going forward.”
We then drilled down to discuss individual wines within his Old Vine Series of releases, commencing with the reds.
“With respect to the 2019 Soldaat, you might have noticed a vegetal aspect in the Grenache,” Sadie told me. “In late December we have started removing leaves around the bunches to remove that aspect. I like it, but I like very austere and ungiving wines. Pofadder is a pure Cinsault vineyard, one where I noticed that it crops much lower. I don’t subscribe to the view that low crops are necessarily the best, but here I think it is a good thing. The actual bunches are smaller. We used to get a lot of side bunches but they’ve not appeared in the last three years. That’s nothing that we have done.”
Eben Sadie is a huge fan of Tinta Barocca and once he starts on the subject, you can do little to stop him.
“The Tinta Barocca [the variety behind Trienspoor] has had the biggest leap in quality. I think it is the best grape planted in the Swartland but it’s an unknown. Even producers don’t know where to plant it. For the 2019 we had one tank completely destemmed and another half-destemmed, so it was 20% destemmed overall, though 2021 is completely destemmed. It has Piedmont-like tannins and Northern Rhône aromatics. The problem is that it has very low yields, which is why Portuguese growers did not plant it widely after the war, when they were getting paid per kilo. But it has such intensity of flavor that I have to stop my pickers from eating the grapes during harvest. The viticulture is much better in this vineyard now. Also, the aging is improved, using conical vats and one foudre to give a little more tannin.”
Sadie is one of the rare breeds of winemakers with no qualms about admitting that he could have done better, even though personally, I construe it as a bit of serendipity.
“The Skurfberg [pure Chenin Blanc] was maybe picked earlier than I wanted. The drought was at its peak and yields were down to 12hl/ha instead of 25-28hl/ha. We could have picked a week later, but we would have possibly killed the vines. Even picking earlier, some vines died because in some places there was just 118mm of rain, half the norm. So it has more acidity than normal, with a green line running through the wine. It’s very strict. I’ll be watching this wine out of the corner of my eye to see whether that earlier picking is something we should pursue. Mev. Kirsten is one of those wines where I talk with a pride that can border on arrogance. But there is no vineyard like it. It’s one of the most difficult soils that we farm – it gets so wet quickly and dries just as quick. We have put a lot of organic material in that vineyard over the last 10 years. From 2017 onward it has entered a completely different realm. I took a six-pack to Burgundy and poured it for some growers, and a couple said that it drinks like a Grand Cru. That’s a huge compliment. I’m so proud of the viticulture here. I would take Aubert de Villaine into that vineyard to show him.”
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
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Wijnhuis
After years of work in Priorat and the founding of Terroir al Limit, Eben Sadie has returned to his roots. To put it in his own words: "A winemaker should make wines in his region of origin. Where he should know the terroir best." The wine world has some heroes, and Eben Sadie is one of them.
Eben graduated as an oenologist in Elsenburg (South Africa). There he became integrated by the vine: a plant that offers so much diversity, 5000 varieties all over the world. Sadie traveled the world for 8 years, working both in companies that make 6 million liters of wine annually and in companies that only produce 6 barrels. He ended up in Germany, France, Spain, Austria, Oregon and California, before returning to his native South Africa. There he is now counted among the new guard winemakers who want to give the New World a better reputation.
He settled in Swartland (1999), a new wine region for South Africa. At the same time, he resolutely broke with the New World custom of making wines from a single grape variety: he chose blends of complementary grape varieties. He based the reason for this on a sober analysis: "All over the world, wines from different grape varieties are made in a Mediterranean, southern climate, while wines from a single grape variety mainly occur in a continental, more northern climate.
Most countries there enjoy a Mediterranean climate, but they still started making wines from one grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and so on. This was successful in the beginning, because it was new and because the grape variety was strongly placed in the foreground. But you don't make really great wines with that. As a result, the New World scores well in the lower price ranges, but is not seen as a supplier of great wines. I want to change that."
Sadie immediately put his vision into practice. He planted the grape varieties that give the best results in the southern Rhône region: Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre. 43 ha spread over 48 different plots, biodynamically treated and processed. He also managed to discover numerous old vineyards, restore them and give them a new lease of life (Ouwingerd series). And just like in the time of Terroir al Limit, he gave the wines individuality and provided them with his own signature, that of refinement.
The Swartland region extends north of Cape Town, between Durbanville and Piketberg, inland from the Atlantic Ocean, with Malmesbury in the middle. The region has a very stable climate, which means that a very consistent quality can be achieved every year. All grapes come from non-irrigated vineyards located in the Swartland region. Eben Sadie is a wine philosopher in many ways. As a result, he uses many old techniques in combination with experiments.
For example, he ferments parts of his wine in large concrete 'eggs', Stöckinger foeders, amphorae and he uses wooden barrels that have not been toasted. He has also started an experiment with fermenting in jars made from the soil around the winery and buried during the fermentation. This technique is very old and originates from the Balkan region.
Palladius is the top model among the white wines of the Sadie Family. It is a blend of 17 vineyards in Paardeberg: 13 vineyards with a granite subsurface and 4 vineyards with sandstone. It is a blend of and hold on to: Chenin Blanc, Garnacha Blanca, Marsanne, Palomino, Roussanne, Verdello and a little Viognier. Everything is picked by hand and pressed in an authentic traditional press, after which the juice is placed directly in concrete (concrete eggs) and amphorae, after which the wine is first allowed to mature quietly on its lees. After this, the wine is transferred to large, used oak barrels so that the wood influence is minimal. The fermentation is only with native yeasts and without additives. Fermentation stops spontaneously (sometimes only after 20 months). After 2 years the wine is bottled without being clarified or filtered.
The Palladius from is pale gold in color. The nose is youthful with an important underlying mineral essence among the aromas of waxy citrus blossom, lemongrass and honeycomb, melon and yellow apple peel. Medium-bodied, elegant and complex at 13.5% alcohol, the wine is majestic on the palate and has a mineral tension, a waxy and textural mouthfeel and a great phenolic bitterness to keep this top gastronomic wine great for many years to come. Parker ends his review: "T he wine glides to an impeccable, long-lingering and spicy finish with persistent elements of citrus and soft notions of sautéed almonds. I might have to finish the glass"
FACT: In the 'Attachments' tab you will find the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. We will send this to you automatically when you order this wine. The wine is stored in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you pick up the wine you will often receive a nice discount . You will see your discount immediately when you choose 'Collect' on the checkout page. We are located in Dordrecht almost next to the A16 with plenty of parking. Click here for our address.
| Type of Wine | White |
|---|---|
| Country | South Africa |
| Region | Western Cape |
| Appellation | Swartland (Appellation) |
| Winery | Sadie Family |
| Grape | Chenin Blanc, Garnacha, Grenache, Palomino, Roussane, Viognier |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Drinking as of | 2023 |
| Drinking till | 2048 |
| Alcohol % | 14 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 99 |
| James Suckling rating | 96 |
| Vinous rating | 96 |
| Tasting Profiles | Aromatisch, Bloemig, Droog, Fruitig, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Rijk, Rond, Steenfruit, Vol, Wit fruit |
| Drink moments | Met vrienden, Summer party, Terras |
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 95
Reviewed by:
Anthony Mueller
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2022 - 2045
Delivering aromas of lemon oil, raw honeycomb, wax melon and underripe peach skin, the 2019 Palladius is gorgeous on the nose, with a delightful floral lift and dusty nuance. Medium-bodied on the palate, the wine offers notions of dusty honeysuckle, underripe peach skin and citrus blossom along with lovely mineral tension and a kiss of phenolic bitterness. This will remain food-friendly until its 20th birthday. Every time I try these wines, they never seem to fail to deliver pleasure. Absolutely stunning!
Published: Jun 09, 2022
The Wine Advocate
RP 99
Reviewed by:
Anthony Mueller
Release Price:
$145
Drink Date:
2025 - 2045
Toeing the line to triple digits, the 2021 Palladius is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Sémillon, Colombard, Verdellho and Palomino. Instantly impressive in the glass, the wine is bold with waxy aromas that sway with seductive notes of lemon pastry cream, dusty melon and citrus blossoms. Medium-bodied and with 13.7% alcohol, the palate is succulent and bright with fantastic acid and displays a kiss of phenolic bitterness that beams with focus and precision. Subtle notes of beeswax and lees drive the finish with immense complexity and considerable weight. The aftertaste summersaults with complexity, offering fresh and bright citrus notes with notions of dusty flowers. It will remain food friendly for decades. It's devastatingly beautiful and cerebral. 12,400 bottles were produced after the grapes were whole-bunch pressed and rested in concrete and amphora.
Published: Dec 29, 2023
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
SADIE FAMILY SWARTLAND PALLADIUS 2021
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
CountrySouth Africa
RegionCoastal Region
Vintage2021
CHECK PRICE
DOWNLOAD SHELFTALKER
Score
96
This is showing aromas of waxed lemons, thyme, grapefruit rind, mango stones, apricots, white flowers and sea shells. Seductively supple, fresh, with bright acidity and a seashell-like minerality. Sophisticated, seamless blend that makes you think. Holding back a little at the moment. Blend of 35% chenin blanc, with equal parts of marsanne, roussanne, clairette, colombard, viognier, verdelho, palomino, grenache blanc, grenache gris, semillon blanc and semillon gris. Try from 2024.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
96
Drinking Window
2025 - 2050
From: The A to Z of South Africa (Nov 2023)
The 2021 Palladius is aged in concrete eggs and amphora for 12 months plus 12 months in old foudre. Sadie said he is most proud of this vintage over the last decade. It has a well-defined lanolin, yellow fruit, melted candle wax and fern nose. The palate is supremely well-balanced, with a killer line of acidity counterbalancing the concentration. An underlying touch of bitter lemon and ginger surfaces towards the harmonious and persistent finish. Superb energy here.
- By Neal Martin on August 2023
No trip to the Cape would be complete without visiting Eben Sadie in Swartland. Before we tasted his 2022s, Sadie gave me a tour of his impressive new winery under construction. One thing that he or his sons, who are taking an increasing active role in the running, will be short of in the future is space. “The 2022 was a difficult vintage on paper,” Sadie explains. “All the rain fell to the south of Swartland, and so we had a hangover of drought. We didn’t have a good winter. Just after flowering, after fruit set, we reduced our crop by half, taking it down one bunch per shoot, and we thinned the shoots right down to maintain a conservative canopy management. It’s one of the benefits of having a fixed team of 26 people. Also, we have had the lowest alcohol levels ever, bringing in the fruit below 13.5% potential alcohol. I’m fascinated by the 2022s because they are way better than I thought they would be. It’s a radical and expensive vintage for us because we bottled very little. It’s been a revelation. It will be interesting to see if we can have the same levels of alcohol in a wetter year. We’ll do some trials to see if it is possible.” This is a brilliant range of 2022s under his Old Vine Series umbrella that includes one new cuvée, a pure Chenin Blanc from Swartland named Rotsbank that Sadie told me he had waited 14 years to make. The 2022 Skurfberg might well constitute the vinous highlight of my trip, consistently ranking amongst his best wines. Maybe just the Kokerboom left me wanting more. The 2021 Columella, his blend of Rhône varieties now around two decades old is wonderful, less powerful than older vintages yet imbued with greater finesse and articulating its site with greater clarity.
94
Drinking Window
2023 - 2040
From: Finding Cool Sunshine: South Africa (Apr 2021)
The 2018 Palladius is a blend of 12 grape varieties, whole-cluster-pressed and matured in clay and concrete amphorae. Only Eben Sadie can take a gallimaufry of grape varieties and create a wine of this caliber. It has a clean, pure bouquet of wax resin, pine needles, greengage plum and light chamomile scents that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is bright and vivacious on the entry and displays a wonderful waxy texture; peach skin, hazelnut and saline notes appear toward the finish. It's all about the umami.
- By Neal Martin on April 2021
It had been too long since I shot the breeze with Eben Sadie. Even though we couldn’t chat in his natural habitat, the vineyard, our Zoom conversation between Surrey and the Swartland was the next best thing. As expected, our conversation meandered to cover all manner of subjects, not only pertaining to South Africa. Eben Sadie is a contradiction in the sense that he is wedded to his homeland yet has a catholic taste in wine, as evidenced by rows of Burgundy and Barolo bottles lining his office. He began in typically philosophical form, looking back at his professional career.
“I have surpassed everything I set out to do and forged a team around me with similar capabilities. You need people to follow with the same trajectory, people that buy into your vision. It’s like a painter. You need a good studio where you feel free to practice your art. Wine is the same, but there are all these people who make it possible. We’ve gone from a staff of 10 to 25, mostly on the viticultural side. We have also acquired land, so that 80% of the vineyards are completely controlled by ourselves, even if from a financial standpoint it is much less profitable. Also, we have planted different grape varieties, which is exciting, though not all are successful.”
One intriguing exchange concerned how Sadie reassesses the modus operandi in the winery every decade. In introducing a new approach – a change in punch-downs or aging vessel, for example – he wants to pressure-test that technique under different growing seasons and/or with different people, in order to gauge if it should be a permanent feature. Since the 2019 vintage is the 20th anniversary of Sadie Family Wines, it prompted Sadie to look back. To take just one facet of winemaking, he sees the first decade as one where everything was destemmed, then a decade when whole bunch was almost mandatory. Going forward, he plans to adopt a more nuanced approach.
“Whole cluster is such a huge debate at the moment. When you look at regional specifics, areas with very cool climates producing fruit with high acidity, low pH and often very low potassium are most suited to whole bunch. [Looking back at previous vintages] we found in the first decade that there was a level and sophistication of tannin that was better than in the second decade. It feels like a textural aspect was lost. The second finding was that the Swartland being low in acidity and high in potassium in the stems, compounded by the droughts, means that I don’t think Swartland is the best place for whole cluster. Therefore, for the Old Vine Series reds, we took the whole cluster down from 90% to 50% in 2019. We don’t do punch-downs but more like a délestage, so that is what we will do going forward.”
We then drilled down to discuss individual wines within his Old Vine Series of releases, commencing with the reds.
“With respect to the 2019 Soldaat, you might have noticed a vegetal aspect in the Grenache,” Sadie told me. “In late December we have started removing leaves around the bunches to remove that aspect. I like it, but I like very austere and ungiving wines. Pofadder is a pure Cinsault vineyard, one where I noticed that it crops much lower. I don’t subscribe to the view that low crops are necessarily the best, but here I think it is a good thing. The actual bunches are smaller. We used to get a lot of side bunches but they’ve not appeared in the last three years. That’s nothing that we have done.”
Eben Sadie is a huge fan of Tinta Barocca and once he starts on the subject, you can do little to stop him.
“The Tinta Barocca [the variety behind Trienspoor] has had the biggest leap in quality. I think it is the best grape planted in the Swartland but it’s an unknown. Even producers don’t know where to plant it. For the 2019 we had one tank completely destemmed and another half-destemmed, so it was 20% destemmed overall, though 2021 is completely destemmed. It has Piedmont-like tannins and Northern Rhône aromatics. The problem is that it has very low yields, which is why Portuguese growers did not plant it widely after the war, when they were getting paid per kilo. But it has such intensity of flavor that I have to stop my pickers from eating the grapes during harvest. The viticulture is much better in this vineyard now. Also, the aging is improved, using conical vats and one foudre to give a little more tannin.”
Sadie is one of the rare breeds of winemakers with no qualms about admitting that he could have done better, even though personally, I construe it as a bit of serendipity.
“The Skurfberg [pure Chenin Blanc] was maybe picked earlier than I wanted. The drought was at its peak and yields were down to 12hl/ha instead of 25-28hl/ha. We could have picked a week later, but we would have possibly killed the vines. Even picking earlier, some vines died because in some places there was just 118mm of rain, half the norm. So it has more acidity than normal, with a green line running through the wine. It’s very strict. I’ll be watching this wine out of the corner of my eye to see whether that earlier picking is something we should pursue. Mev. Kirsten is one of those wines where I talk with a pride that can border on arrogance. But there is no vineyard like it. It’s one of the most difficult soils that we farm – it gets so wet quickly and dries just as quick. We have put a lot of organic material in that vineyard over the last 10 years. From 2017 onward it has entered a completely different realm. I took a six-pack to Burgundy and poured it for some growers, and a couple said that it drinks like a Grand Cru. That’s a huge compliment. I’m so proud of the viticulture here. I would take Aubert de Villaine into that vineyard to show him.”
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
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After years of work in Priorat and the founding of Terroir al Limit, Eben Sadie has returned to his roots. To put it in his own words: "A winemaker should make wines in his region of origin. Where he should know the terroir best." The wine world has some heroes, and Eben Sadie is one of them.
Eben graduated as an oenologist in Elsenburg (South Africa). There he became integrated by the vine: a plant that offers so much diversity, 5000 varieties all over the world. Sadie traveled the world for 8 years, working both in companies that make 6 million liters of wine annually and in companies that only produce 6 barrels. He ended up in Germany, France, Spain, Austria, Oregon and California, before returning to his native South Africa. There he is now counted among the new guard winemakers who want to give the New World a better reputation.
He settled in Swartland (1999), a new wine region for South Africa. At the same time, he resolutely broke with the New World custom of making wines from a single grape variety: he chose blends of complementary grape varieties. He based the reason for this on a sober analysis: "All over the world, wines from different grape varieties are made in a Mediterranean, southern climate, while wines from a single grape variety mainly occur in a continental, more northern climate.
Most countries there enjoy a Mediterranean climate, but they still started making wines from one grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and so on. This was successful in the beginning, because it was new and because the grape variety was strongly placed in the foreground. But you don't make really great wines with that. As a result, the New World scores well in the lower price ranges, but is not seen as a supplier of great wines. I want to change that."
Sadie immediately put his vision into practice. He planted the grape varieties that give the best results in the southern Rhône region: Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre. 43 ha spread over 48 different plots, biodynamically treated and processed. He also managed to discover numerous old vineyards, restore them and give them a new lease of life (Ouwingerd series). And just like in the time of Terroir al Limit, he gave the wines individuality and provided them with his own signature, that of refinement.
The Swartland region extends north of Cape Town, between Durbanville and Piketberg, inland from the Atlantic Ocean, with Malmesbury in the middle. The region has a very stable climate, which means that a very consistent quality can be achieved every year. All grapes come from non-irrigated vineyards located in the Swartland region. Eben Sadie is a wine philosopher in many ways. As a result, he uses many old techniques in combination with experiments.
For example, he ferments parts of his wine in large concrete 'eggs', Stöckinger foeders, amphorae and he uses wooden barrels that have not been toasted. He has also started an experiment with fermenting in jars made from the soil around the winery and buried during the fermentation. This technique is very old and originates from the Balkan region.