SIZE

6 PACK, 750ml BOTTLES, $124.99 EACH

PRODUCER

SADIE Family Wines

VINTAGE

2022

COLOUR

White

SUB-REGION, REGION, COUNTRY

Swartland, Western Cape, South Africa

GRAPE

Chenin Blanc 

98 Points, Tim Atkin

"Part of a trilogy of Chenin Blancs – and the only one from Eben Sadie’s base in the Swartland – this is a brilliant second release from very bony, decomposed granite soils on the Paardeberg. Perfumed, elegant, steely and refined, it has a Grand Cru Chablis-like focus and intensity, all wet stones and oyster shell, with rock salt and fresh lime flavours and the seamless concentration of its 39-year-old bush vines."

 

The Rotsbank vineyard is located in the Paardeberg in the Aprilskloof on a rock shelf that barely has 30 – 50 cm of soil in most parts. It is incredible to think that this vineyard survives year after year. Many of the roots in the soil have found cracks in this rock shelf, and the limited natural growth of this vineyard makes for incredibly concentrated fruit. Since 2008 we have wanted to produce a Swartland Chenin Blanc, but the 2022 vintage materialised as the first after we were very fortunate to purchase the vineyard. This 2023 Rotsbank bottling displays match flint, almost crushed oyster shell aromas with grapefruit aspects. The wine is incredibly concentrated on the aromatics, and the tannins have massive tension. The wine’s substantial acidity and dry finish suggest that it will only benefit much from the time in the bottle. It is one of the most linear expressions of the year. It is a blue steel Chenin

SIZE

6 PACK, 750ml BOTTLES, $219.99 EACH

PRODUCER

SADIE Family Wines

VINTAGE

2021

COLOUR

RED

SUB-REGION, REGION, COUNTRY

Swartland, Western Cape, South Africa

GRAPE

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan

 

This 2021 vintage of Columella displays extremely bright red fruit aromas. The wine is incredibly fresh, and the 24 months of ageing in old casks are unmarked; it almost seems like the fruit is still hanging on the vine. Some velvety spicey herbal aromas of the bush come through on the aromatics, and then violets and perfumes followed. There are darker, deeper lines of graphite, black olive and cedarwood aromatics, and the structure of the wine is quite seamless; the tannins flow into the acidity at the end of the palate. It is incredibly balanced, and delicate layers of stitching make up this wine. Time is your friend on this one.

 

94 Points, Wine Spectator (previous vintage)

A well-spiced, harmonious red, fragrant and finely knit, with subtle, brambly character to the ripe raspberry and cherry fruit, accents of chopped marjoram, wild sage and fresh, loamy earth. Reveals integrated tannins that are lightly chalky and fine, with a long, juicy finish that echoes the ripe fruit alongside notes of spiced orange peel, iron and smoke. Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault and Tinta Barocca. Drink now through 2033.

SIZE

6 PACK, 750ml BOTTLES, $124.99 EACH

PRODUCER

SADIE Family Wines

VINTAGE

2023

COLOUR

red

SUB-REGION, REGION, COUNTRY

Swartland, Western Cape, South Africa

GRAPE

grenache

93 points, Vinous

"The 2023 Soldaat is Grenache planted on quartz sandstone. It has a well-defined, open-knit bouquet of Morello cherry and strawberry, moderate in terms of complexity. To put it in banal terms, it might be the “prettiest” of Sadie’s reds this year. The palate is all pomegranate and red cherries. Fresh and vibrant with only light tannins, this is not powerful, but it’s very expressive, possessing a lilting quality that is just irresistible. Lovely."

 

The fermentation of the Soldaat vineyard is a wonderful experience in the cellar since the red strawberry, cherry and pomegranate kind of fresh fruit aromas and perfumes fill the entire space; and these and similar flavours are to be found in the resultant wine. Grenache is a grape that completely translates the terroir into liquid. The purity of fruit and transparency of the wine, with very earthy notes, develop into greater complexity with time – this is the main characteristic here alongside the fresh fruit aromas.The tannin textures do reward those that have the nerve to wait and allow the wine to mature properly for 5 – 8 years minimum. This 2023 Soldaat displays the usual red cherry and strawberry fruit aromas that carry through into deeper earthy flavours. This year, the colour is slightly darker but still bright red, and the tannins are more textured and compact. The fruit is overall quite expressive, and the mouthfeel of the more compact tannins suggests that this vintage will age well and the wine will gain massive complexity with time in the bottle. The underlying dormant secondary flavours are well knitted together with the acidity

SIZE

6 PACK, 750ml BOTTLES, $124.99 EACH

PRODUCER

SADIE Family Wines

VINTAGE

2023

COLOUR

White

SUB-REGION, REGION, COUNTRY

Swartland, Western Cape, South Africa

GRAPE

Chenin Blanc, Palomino

 98 points, Tim Atkin

"Follow the salt trail" says Eben Sadie of this world-class blend of equal parts Chenin Blanc and Palomino from sand and limestone soils close to the Atlantic Ocean. Rivalling the whites of Santorini in Greece for intensity, concentration and minerality, it's a savoury, focused, windswept delight, with rockpool, oyster shell, lime and citrus flavours."

 

Skerpioen (Scorpion) is a wine from a very unique location halfway between Dwarskersbos and Elands Bay on the West Coast. One of the most amazing aspects of this location is the fact that the soils are chalky (limestone). In addition to that it is one of the coolest parts of the Swartland region, located a mere 2km from the Atlantic Ocean, but it is also a very dry area with an average rainfall of around 300mm per year.

 

 This location is home to some of the most intense south-easterly winds and the old vines look almost abused after having been battered by winds and blowing sand for years and years.

 

The 2023 Skerpioen displays the usual limey and citrus flavours associated with the vineyard. This wine’s distinctive saline qualities, salty taste, and minerality are again prominent. The Chenin and Palomino field blend is very stable annually in its expression. The tannins and the acidity are slightly softer than in the last two vintages, and this vintage could be savoured earlier as the balance and mouthfeel are already very balanced.

SIZE

6 PACK, 750ml BOTTLES, $219.99 EACH

PRODUCER

SADIE Family Wines

VINTAGE

2022

COLOUR

White

SUB-REGION, REGION, COUNTRY

Swartland, Western Cape, South Africa

GRAPE

Chenin Blanc BLEND

98 Points, Decanter

"Opens slowly with the fragrance of cool lemony citrus, bergamot and mandarin. There’s an undertone of fresh beeswax and flint. A portrait of the Swartland, with 17 different vineyards making up the components. Eben believes this vintage is ‘a strong contender for the most restrained’ in [its] five year run. The parcels were wild fermented in concrete eggs and amphora... The palate is radiant with white peach, limes, orchard apples and tangy nectarine, rippled through with a liquid mineral acidity that carries the fruit into a resonant, layered finish."

 

Over the past 5 years Palladius has been the wine that grew the most in quality and refinement and much of this has to do with the addition of more vineyards and the improvement of their viticulture. Currently of all our wines, the Palladius, with 17 vineyards, obviously represents the biggest canvas of the Swartland. The 2022 starts by almost playing hide-and-seek; the wine is more reserved and holding back. And only after warming up and a couple of minutes in the glass does the conversation start. The aromas are that of green apple and citrus flint, and then some of the stone fruit aromas begin to shine through. The wine needs time. The palate is already balanced, and the acidity is met by very firm tannins. The aftertaste is lingering. This bottling is a great vintage to follow the 2021. It is a strong contender for the most restrained version, but we must taste 2021 and 2022 with some age to have a final verdict. As always, it is suggested to age this wine for a minimum of 4 - 6 years.

SIZE

6 PACK, 750ml BOTTLES, $224.99 EACH

PRODUCER

SADIE Family Wines

VINTAGE

2022

COLOUR

RED

SUB-REGION, REGION, COUNTRY

Swartland, Western Cape, South Africa

GRAPE

Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan, Cinsaut, Tinta Barocca

99 Points, Tim Atkin

"This is the lightest bodied Columella ever, according to Eben Sadie, but he’s not lost any concentration or intensity at the lower alcohol level. Sourced from 12 different vineyards... a brilliant vintage of one of the world’s greatest reds. Partnering Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault, Tinta Barocca and Pinotage, this is an almost indecently perfumed cuvée with lilac, fynbos and rose petal aromas, plum, red cherry and blackberry fruit, subtle 5% new wood and a focused, grippy, stony finish..."

 

This 2022 Columella vintage displays floral aromas, and the bright, fresh fruit aromas carry over into oriental spicey aspects that then meet up with deepened earthy dynamics. Over time, the trademark violets and perfumes will develop further; the wine is very compact. The acidity at the end of the palate and the overall tannin are very well-placed, and the overall balance of the wine is terrific. The first thought that comes to mind is that it is a classic vintage, with most aspects being textbook. This 2022 vintage is also the lowest alcohol we ever achieved on the blend at 13,2 %. The wine needs time./span>

SIZE

6 PACK, 750ml BOTTLES, $124.99 EACH

PRODUCER

SADIE Family Wines

VINTAGE

2023

COLOUR

White

SUB-REGION, REGION, COUNTRY

Swartland, Western Cape, South Africa

GRAPE

Chenin Blanc

 96 points, Tim Atkin

“In memory of Basie,” reads the label, which is a nice tribute to the legendary grower, Basie van Lill, from whose farm Eben Sadie sources Skurfberg. Using dry-farmed grapes from a 0.8-ha parcel on red granite and iron soils, this is pale, floral and comparatively forward for a wine from this terroir, with passion fruit, peach and lemon zest flavours and the minerality that comes with the territory on Citrusdal Mountain."

 

The Skurfberg Mountain is part of the Citrusdal mountain area and the word Skurfberg (Rugged Mountain) mainly refers to the edgy and rough appearance of the mountain. The soil is mainly decomposed Table Mountain sandstone formations and tends to be very sandy. It is a truly great site for Chenin and it is most unusual that such a warm and dry area still produces wines with this enormous texture and freshness.

 

 For this 2023 Skurfberg vintage, we also opted to pick seemingly prematurely, as it is in the Citrusdal Mountains and shares the same seasonal dynamics. The physiology of the fruit seemed delayed, yet the wine also yielded 13.9% alcohol. The combination of the volume of the wine and the firm acidity makes for an incredible wine that is essentially built to last. The trademark granny smith apple, pear skin, and lanolin are very present in the aromas. The wine’s viscosity and volume, combined with the cutting acidity, suggest that this vintage has the mechanics to age incredibly well, like Kokerboom.

SIZE

6 PACK, 750ml BOTTLES, $179.99 EACH

PRODUCER

SADIE Family Wines

VINTAGE

2020

COLOUR

White

SUB-REGION, REGION, COUNTRY

Swartland, Western Cape, South Africa

GRAPE

Chenin Blanc BLEND

96 Points, Tim Atkin

No fewer than 17 parcels and 11 varieties (for now) contribute to the blend of this impressive white. Palomino, Chenin Blanc and Grenache Blanc are the dominant grapes in a wine that nods towards the southern Rhône and Spain. Less exotic than it was, Palladius is tauter and more focused these days, with freshness and zip form Clairette Blanche, Colombard and Verdelho, citrus, pear, lemongrass and aromatic herb notes and a tangy, wet stone finish.