Sadie, Swartland Magic!

Kokerboom is a field blend of Semillon Blanc and Semillon Gris, the latter contributing 15-25%, depending on the year. Both Semillons are picked and pressed together and raised in large-format oak. Thanks to its solar exposition, the Semillon ripens exceptionally well and has little to none of the tart herbaceousness sometimes associated with the grape. Instead, Semillon from this site is known for its ripe lime characters, chamomile notes and waxy texture. This year, Kokerboom is the lowest-yielding vineyard of the District Series—in 2023, the vines squeezed out just 16 hl/ha— and Eden implores that what little there is should be shared among friends! For the second year running, there was very little rain in the Citrusdal Mountains, and again, Sadie opted to pick the grapes slightly earlier than he would naturally be inclined to. Bottled at 13.8% alcohol and notwithstanding its fresh appearance, it is a powerful wine (in the most beautiful sense). “The tannins, acidity, overall texture, and volume in the wine are incredible, and we are in awe of the power of this terroir,” says Eben.

“Henk Laing's grape and rooibos tea farm on the Citrusdal Mountain has been taken over by his family after his death, which is a relief to fans of this wine (and others from the property). A co-fermentation of Semillon and 25% Semillon Gris, this is generally the most exotic white in the Sadie Family range, but is a bit more focused in 2023 because of the early pick. Lime, nectarine and lemon zest flavours are underpinned by stony minerality.” 96 points, Tim Atkin MW, South Africa Report 2023

“The 2023 Kokerboom is a blend of co-planted Sémillon Blanc and Gris on sandstone with shale and silt—Sadie’s most northerly parcel in the Cape. Yellow plum and light waxy scents slowly emerge on the nose; this is another 2023 that takes time to open in the glass, with just a hint of star anise in the background. Fresh and tensile, the palate is well balanced with citric notes of bitter lemon and orange rind, leading to another strict and linear finish that lingers in the mouth. Very fine.” 93 points, Neal Martin, Vinous

Old Vine Series. In the 1920s, Cinsault was the most-planted black grape in South Africa. However, as one of the fickler varieties to work with and to vinify, it suffered a fall from grace post-WWII. It’s only very recently that (with growers such as Eben Sadie and Chris Alheit leading the charge) the ‘Pinot Noir of Swartland’ has been reborn, and the results are revelatory. This variety is now being planted more and more by top growers in the south of France. Wines like this show you why.

Pofadder is pure Cinsault, cropped from a 1973-planted parcel in Riebeeksrivier on the Kasteelberg Mountain (west of Malmesbury). The soils are slate and decomposed shale. Pofadder is Afrikaans for a puff adder, a type of snake in these parts that claimed the life of a vineyard worker in the 1940s. Sadie is a champion of old-vine Cinsault in the Cape, but even he concedes that this is the vineyard and the wine that need the most care. Controlling yields, bunch/berry sorting and protection from oxidation in the cellar are all vital. Roughly 30% whole bunches are placed in an old wooden, open-top fermenter, with one or two gentle foot-stomps each day to release just enough juice to keep the fermentation ticking over. After a month on skins, the grapes are transferred to a tiny basket press and pressed directly to 28-year-old conical wooden casks for aging. The wine is a gloriously textured yet vibrant ode to variety and region. In Eben’s mind, the 2023 is the most stylish example he has released.

“Eben Sadie sources this delightful Swartland Cinsault from the Anthonij Rupert farm in Riebeeksrivier, using grapes grown on schist. Fermented with 30% whole bunches in concrete and foudres, it’s a graceful, elegant, refined expression of Cinsault with potpourri and Turkish Delight aromas, lots of zip and energy, succulent red berry fruit and granular tannins.” 96 points, Tim Atkin MW, South Africa Report 2024

“The 2023 Pofadder, 100% Cinsault planted in schist, has a floral bouquet: white flowers, rose petals, bright wild strawberry and cranberry, with a little more mineralité than the Soldaat. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red fruit. It’s perhaps the most tensile of any Pofadder I’ve tasted, culminating in a linear finish with life-affirming frisson. There is an effortless brilliance about this Pofadder—even better than last year's offering.” 96 points, Neal Martin, Vinous

Old Vine Series. “It’s a Swartland thing,” notes Sadie of Tinta Barocca (the South African spelling has only one ‘r’ and two ‘c’s). This variety arrived in South Africa from the Douro and has found an opportune home in the Western Cape. Historically, Tinta das Baroccas (as it was once labelled) has played a prominent role in Swartland’s red blends, and interest in the variety—particularly from old, dry-grown vineyards—has spiked in recent years.

This vineyard, planted in 1974 and located next to the old railway line (treinspoor), lies four kilometres west of Malmesbury on decomposed granite and sandstone. Sadie notes that while the very fragile, thin skin of Tinta Barocca is prone to sunburn, the old bush vines of this site keep the bunches sheltered from the intense Swartland sun. He likens his Treinspoor to a sort of stylistic cross between northern Rhône Syrah (black cherry/blackcurrant/grenadine fruit, iodine and nettles) and Piemontese Nebbiolo (spice, flowers, acidity and tannins). “It has Piedmont-like tannins and Northern Rhône aromatics,” says Eben. Regardless, as you can read below, it’s a brilliant red. It ferments in concrete with 50% whole bunches and is raised for 11 months in large cask. Like all Sadie wines, it is an outstanding, idiosyncratic red of beauty, finesse and character.

“The 2023 Treinspoor is pure Tinta Barocca planted on sandstone and granite/quartz. Dark berry fruit and hints of Earl Grey unfold on the nose that’s maybe just a bit Nebbiolo-like in style and very expressive. Brisk and bright, the palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins. It’s a little Barolo-like toward the grippy finish, leaving veins of blue fruit on the aftertaste. Outstanding and characterful.” 95 points, Neal Martin, Vinous

“Treinspoor is a pure Tinta Barocca from red clay soils close to Malmesbury. Eben Sadie reckons it's the "most elegant" expression of the vineyard yet, but this is still a wine that's built for the long haul, with classic damson, fig and cranberry flavours, chewy, stubble-chinned tannins, a ferrous, steak tartare undertone and enough acidity to drive and freshen the finish.” 95 points, Tim Atkin MW, South Africa Report 2024