2021 Sadie Family Treinspoor

Type of Wine | Red |
---|---|
Country | South Africa |
Region | |
Appellation | Swartland (Appellation) |
Winery | |
Vintage | 2021 |
Grape | |
Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (13.5%) |
Drink window | 2024 - 2040 |
- Buy 3 for 62.95 52.02 each and save 5%
In stock
9 items available
Description
Eben Sadie is considered one of the pioneers in South African viticulture. Because of his insight it can be said that the Swartland region came to be seen in a completely different light. It was Eben who found the older vineyards here and made his famous Columella and Palladius.
Like all wines from the Sadie Family, this Treinspoor is also a very scarce, great wine with an impressive storage potential. Also like its big brother, this Train Track is made from Tinta Barocca. In the glass the wine has a bright ruby red color with a scent that opens slowly. It has a fascinating bouquet with raspberries, cranberry leaves, tobacco and moist, wet clay-like aromas and lots of spiciness such as cloves, nutmeg and some pepper. Followed by a good spicy taste with a fine acidity and refined tannin. The wine has firm tannins that can be compared to Barolos and Barberescos from Piedmont. This is a great South African wine.
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 | Red |
---|---|
Country | South Africa |
Region | Western Cape |
Appellation | Swartland (Appellation) |
Winery | Sadie Family |
Grape | Tinta Barroca |
Biological certified | No |
Natural wine | No |
Vegan | No |
Vintage | 2021 |
Drinking as of | 2024 |
Drinking till | 2040 |
Alcohol % | 13.5 |
Alcohol free/low | No |
Content | 0.75 ltr |
Oak aging | Yes |
Sparkling | No |
Dessert wine | No |
Closure | Cork |
Promotion | Tier Price |
Parker rating | 95 |
Vinous rating | 96 |
Tasting Profiles | Aards, Boers, Donker fruit, Droog, Fruitig, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Tannines, Vol |
Drink moments | Barbecue, Met vrienden, Open haard |
Professional Reviews
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 95
Reviewed by:
Anthony Mueller
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2025 - 2042
Made from Tinto Barocca, the 2021 Old Vine Series Treinspoor is instantly impressive in the glass with a fresh frame of dark red fruits that sways with just-ripe plum and dark cherry skin essences. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is muscular with a gripping tannic edge that reveals devastating beauty and picturesque, spiced plum and dusty florals across the mid-palate. The wine loosens and uncoils as it sits in the mouth before ending with a fresh, fruited, slightly spicy finish that lingers with a tight graphite sensation.
Published: Dec 30, 2022
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
96
Drinking Window
2023 - 2045
From: Growing Up ‘n Getting Wiser: South Africa in 2022 (Sep 2022)
The 2021 Treinspoor is Sadie's Tinta Barocca that the man himself likens to Nebbiolo, also opining that it is a wine that needs considerable ageing. These vines were planted in 1974, and the blend includes 40% whole clusters. It has a complex, succinctly defined bouquet with melted tar and graphite infused dark berry fruit, a hint of Lapsang Souchong. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly-tuned acidity, almost Burgundian in texture yet with more pepperiness towards the finish. So elegant and harmonious - this is stunning from every angle you look at it.
- By Neal Martin on August 2022
Eben Sadie is a man of two passions…wine and the wave. I’ve no doubt his family is also high up on his list, but in my personal experience, these are what he dreams about. Hopefully, Sadie is still with us. He was about to celebrate a significant milestone by flying to Fiji to surf a famous, but no doubt dangerous, break. Couldn’t he just gather a few mates for a bit of karaoke? Far safer. Meeting him at his Swartland farm, I made sure that I had time to visit his small vat-room and tour his new acquisition of the neighbouring Rotsvas farm.
“We essentially started as a very tiny property,” Sadie explains, his dog running perilously close to his bakkie (pick-up truck) as we inspect the vines. “Of the original 17 hectares, only 8.5 was great soil, and so we planted three parcels: Slangdraai [snake bend], Twiswind [to argue with the wind] and Sonvang [sun-catch]. Still, as it stands, we never owned our old vines - we have about 25 hectares under lease contracts and those are predominantly very old parcels. There was one old vine parcel of Chenin Blanc that was literally 15 meters away from where our last vineyard stopped. I always walked there with my dogs and tasted the fruit over the last 15 years. I tried several times to buy it, but there was never an option [on the table]. So, in 2021, an opportunity presented itself whereby AA Badenhorst Wines and ourselves could buy the land that separated our properties. We managed to buy a small piece and Badenhorst the remainder [200 hectares]. So, we are true neighbours now. It just so transpired that after 14 years another neighbour that also owned this specific old vine parcel of Chenin agreed to a sale. Thus, we bought two pieces from two neighbours, and now the property stands at 37.5 hectares. In addition, we managed to acquire an exceptional two-hectare parcel named Rotsbank [rock shelf] and an additional five hectares of old vine Chenin Blanc called Antenna. Part of this parcel will ultimately make its way to Palladius once we have improved the viticulture and soil health. About 13 hectares of land have been cleared, and we are currently planting cereals and legumes. It has incredible soil, but we are in no hurry. For now, there are enough new additions that we first need to understand and farm well. It presents a massive opportunity, a responsibility we are happy to undertake. The timing is perfect since we have a solid, permanent team in the vineyards. We have a junior team in the group that is being trained and educated now, so they can grow with all the new responsibilities.”
I ask Sadie about recent developments apropos vinification since I last visited. “From 2015, we started trialing whole cluster and de-stemmed bunches to analyse the amount of acid that you lose in adding stems, especially in dry vintages. Since 2021, I don’t do any punch-downs - just wet the cap and spread the yeast. The alcoholic ferments are longer, about a month in concrete vats with no cooling as they peak at 24° to 25° Celsius. The Columella now spends six weeks on the skins.”
I tasted through Sadie’s complete range of 2021s plus a couple of 2020s a week later with Rosa Kruger, who has been instrumental in linking him with some of the Cape’s finest vineyards to create his much sought-after Old Vine Series. It’s probably playing the same old record in praising his entire range that possess so much nuance and character, cerebral yet delicious wines that you want to study as much as imbibe. Sadie has always been candid and critical where appropriate, occasionally scathing when it comes to his first vintages where his techniques were almost the antithesis of nowadays. I will let the tasting notes of his latest releases speak for themselves.
Finally, he mentioned his surfing adventure before signing off in his last message. “Fiji is a significant undertaking,” he wrote, “but I am excited. The rest is up to nature.” Just like wine, eh?
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.
Eben Sadie is considered one of the pioneers in South African viticulture. Because of his insight it can be said that the Swartland region came to be seen in a completely different light. It was Eben who found the older vineyards here and made his famous Columella and Palladius.
Like all wines from the Sadie Family, this Treinspoor is also a very scarce, great wine with an impressive storage potential. Also like its big brother, this Train Track is made from Tinta Barocca. In the glass the wine has a bright ruby red color with a scent that opens slowly. It has a fascinating bouquet with raspberries, cranberry leaves, tobacco and moist, wet clay-like aromas and lots of spiciness such as cloves, nutmeg and some pepper. Followed by a good spicy taste with a fine acidity and refined tannin. The wine has firm tannins that can be compared to Barolos and Barberescos from Piedmont. This is a great South African wine.
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 | Red |
---|---|
Country | South Africa |
Region | Western Cape |
Appellation | Swartland (Appellation) |
Winery | Sadie Family |
Grape | Tinta Barroca |
Biological certified | No |
Natural wine | No |
Vegan | No |
Vintage | 2021 |
Drinking as of | 2024 |
Drinking till | 2040 |
Alcohol % | 13.5 |
Alcohol free/low | No |
Content | 0.75 ltr |
Oak aging | Yes |
Sparkling | No |
Dessert wine | No |
Closure | Cork |
Promotion | Tier Price |
Parker rating | 95 |
Vinous rating | 96 |
Tasting Profiles | Aards, Boers, Donker fruit, Droog, Fruitig, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Tannines, Vol |
Drink moments | Barbecue, Met vrienden, Open haard |
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 95
Reviewed by:
Anthony Mueller
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2025 - 2042
Made from Tinto Barocca, the 2021 Old Vine Series Treinspoor is instantly impressive in the glass with a fresh frame of dark red fruits that sways with just-ripe plum and dark cherry skin essences. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is muscular with a gripping tannic edge that reveals devastating beauty and picturesque, spiced plum and dusty florals across the mid-palate. The wine loosens and uncoils as it sits in the mouth before ending with a fresh, fruited, slightly spicy finish that lingers with a tight graphite sensation.
Published: Dec 30, 2022
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
96
Drinking Window
2023 - 2045
From: Growing Up ‘n Getting Wiser: South Africa in 2022 (Sep 2022)
The 2021 Treinspoor is Sadie's Tinta Barocca that the man himself likens to Nebbiolo, also opining that it is a wine that needs considerable ageing. These vines were planted in 1974, and the blend includes 40% whole clusters. It has a complex, succinctly defined bouquet with melted tar and graphite infused dark berry fruit, a hint of Lapsang Souchong. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly-tuned acidity, almost Burgundian in texture yet with more pepperiness towards the finish. So elegant and harmonious - this is stunning from every angle you look at it.
- By Neal Martin on August 2022
Eben Sadie is a man of two passions…wine and the wave. I’ve no doubt his family is also high up on his list, but in my personal experience, these are what he dreams about. Hopefully, Sadie is still with us. He was about to celebrate a significant milestone by flying to Fiji to surf a famous, but no doubt dangerous, break. Couldn’t he just gather a few mates for a bit of karaoke? Far safer. Meeting him at his Swartland farm, I made sure that I had time to visit his small vat-room and tour his new acquisition of the neighbouring Rotsvas farm.
“We essentially started as a very tiny property,” Sadie explains, his dog running perilously close to his bakkie (pick-up truck) as we inspect the vines. “Of the original 17 hectares, only 8.5 was great soil, and so we planted three parcels: Slangdraai [snake bend], Twiswind [to argue with the wind] and Sonvang [sun-catch]. Still, as it stands, we never owned our old vines - we have about 25 hectares under lease contracts and those are predominantly very old parcels. There was one old vine parcel of Chenin Blanc that was literally 15 meters away from where our last vineyard stopped. I always walked there with my dogs and tasted the fruit over the last 15 years. I tried several times to buy it, but there was never an option [on the table]. So, in 2021, an opportunity presented itself whereby AA Badenhorst Wines and ourselves could buy the land that separated our properties. We managed to buy a small piece and Badenhorst the remainder [200 hectares]. So, we are true neighbours now. It just so transpired that after 14 years another neighbour that also owned this specific old vine parcel of Chenin agreed to a sale. Thus, we bought two pieces from two neighbours, and now the property stands at 37.5 hectares. In addition, we managed to acquire an exceptional two-hectare parcel named Rotsbank [rock shelf] and an additional five hectares of old vine Chenin Blanc called Antenna. Part of this parcel will ultimately make its way to Palladius once we have improved the viticulture and soil health. About 13 hectares of land have been cleared, and we are currently planting cereals and legumes. It has incredible soil, but we are in no hurry. For now, there are enough new additions that we first need to understand and farm well. It presents a massive opportunity, a responsibility we are happy to undertake. The timing is perfect since we have a solid, permanent team in the vineyards. We have a junior team in the group that is being trained and educated now, so they can grow with all the new responsibilities.”
I ask Sadie about recent developments apropos vinification since I last visited. “From 2015, we started trialing whole cluster and de-stemmed bunches to analyse the amount of acid that you lose in adding stems, especially in dry vintages. Since 2021, I don’t do any punch-downs - just wet the cap and spread the yeast. The alcoholic ferments are longer, about a month in concrete vats with no cooling as they peak at 24° to 25° Celsius. The Columella now spends six weeks on the skins.”
I tasted through Sadie’s complete range of 2021s plus a couple of 2020s a week later with Rosa Kruger, who has been instrumental in linking him with some of the Cape’s finest vineyards to create his much sought-after Old Vine Series. It’s probably playing the same old record in praising his entire range that possess so much nuance and character, cerebral yet delicious wines that you want to study as much as imbibe. Sadie has always been candid and critical where appropriate, occasionally scathing when it comes to his first vintages where his techniques were almost the antithesis of nowadays. I will let the tasting notes of his latest releases speak for themselves.
Finally, he mentioned his surfing adventure before signing off in his last message. “Fiji is a significant undertaking,” he wrote, “but I am excited. The rest is up to nature.” Just like wine, eh?
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
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.