South Africa
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Malmesbury
Our Story
Eben Sadie is considered one of the great visionaries and preservationists among South African winemakers. He is outspoken about his obsession with terroir and making sure the Swartland region is recognized as a place to make exceptional, authentic and highly coveted wines.
He founded Sadie Family Wines in 1999, after establishing his career in both South Africa and wineries across the world and released his first vintage of Columella in 2000. He was one of the first to focus on creating wines that express their area, or a single vineyard, rather than blending extensively across regions which was unconventional at the time.
This site specificity along with field varietals and older vineyard parcels are the philosophy that drives the production of his two ranges of wines - The Signature Series (Columella and Palladius) and then his Old Vine Series (9 different wines). Columella is a blend of old-vine fruit from eight Swartland vineyards while Palladius is a blend of 11 varieties from 17 different vineyard sites, with old, bush-vine Chenin Blanc driving the cuvée. The Signature Series wines are the result of a project with renowned viticulturist, Rosa Kruger to discover, revitalise, and in some cases, save old vineyards throughout the Cape. These limited volume wines are produced without any additions and without much manipulation. The reds are mostly fermented whole cluster as that was the pre-1940’s vinification standard. The whites are whole bunch pressed. None of the wines are refined or altered as Eben strives to bottle the most “honest” wines that show their true character and location.
Wines
Columella
Sadie Family Wines
Paardeberg, Kasteelberg, Malmesbury and Piquetberg
The ever-evolving flagship of Eben Sadie. A Syrah based blend that is a study of terroir. Granite, slate, gravel, and sandstone soils, all in the Swartland. Spontaneous fermentation in 3300L open top concrete. Unfined and unfiltered after spending 2 years in neutral wood, both small barrels and foudre. Red fruit, violets, spicy.
Kokerboom
Sadie Family Wines
Citrusdal Mountain
Citrusdal Mountain Semillon. The land of white green grape and red green grape - the two Semillons. The capsule is green. Lots of quiver trees in this area, kokerbooms. Fermented and aged on the gross lees in neutral cask. Ripe pear, lime, length.
Mev. Kirsten
Sadie Family Wines
Stellenbosch - Jonkershoek Valley
Steen in Jonkershoek Valley in Stellenbosch. A blend of young vines that are harvested first and fermented in 500 liter casks and old vines that harvested two weeks later and fermented in neutral foudre. The old Chenin Blanc, perhaps the oldest in all of South Africa, belongs to Ms Kirsten. Golden Delicious apple, texture, longevity.
Palladius
Sadie Family Wines
Paardeberg, Piketberg, and St Helena Bay
Columella's treatise on farming, De Re Rustica, is a comprehensive account of Roman viticulture. His successor was Palladius. 13 parcels, all in the Swartland, specifically in Paardeberg, Piketberg, and St Helena Bay. Always a blend and always Chenin Blanc based. Naturally fermented in clay amphora and concrete eggs. Further aging in truly neutral casks. Unripe yellow fruit, lanolin, vibrant.
Pofadder
Sadie Family Wines
Swartland – Riebeeksrivier
Cinsaut grown in iron rich slate. The capsule matches the soil. Wear your boots because there are plenty of puff adders around, poisonous vipers. 50% whole cluster natural fermentation. Both concrete and foudre for aging. Bright red fruit, tension, lifted.
Rotsbank
Sadie Family Wines
This wine is impressively precise and concentrated, with flavors of pears, yellow apples, tinned pineapples, whetstone, and smoke, complemented by a clear, linear acidity reminiscent of Alsatian Riesling. The Chenin Blanc grapes are sourced from the Rotsbank vineyard in Paardeberg, where roots grow through a rocky shelf, producing concentrated fruit. Post-harvest, grapes are cooled, whole bunch pressed, and fermented in old foudres. The wine is left on ferment lees for 12 months and bottled with a minimal sulphur addition.
Skerpioen
Sadie Family Wines
Swartland - St. Helena Bay
Steen (Chenin Blanc) and Vaalblaar (Palomino) from St Helena Bay in the Swarltand. Limestone soils match the color of the capsule. Lots of scorpions in these vineyards hence Skerpioen. Natural fermentation and aging in neutral casks, bottled directly off the lees. Chamomile, straw, saline.
Skurfberg
Sadie Family Wines
Citrusdal Mountain
Skurfberg means Rugged Mountain. The capsule represents the reddish color of decomposing Table Mountain sandstone that is found in the WO of Citrusdal Mountain. 100% Chenin Blanc. Long, natural fermentation and aging in neutral foudre. Bottled right from cask. Peach skin, viscus, mineral.
Soldaat
Sadie Family Wines
Citrusdal Mountain - Piekenierskloof
Citrusdal Mountain grenache. 60% whole cluster, wholly concrete. The capsule is a reflection of this elegant, purple soldier. Pomegranate, perfume, fresh.
T Voetpad
Sadie Family Wines
Swartland
The Footpath - the name of this wheat and rooibos team farm in the Swartland that has a very old vineyard tucked away inside. Co-harvested and co-fermented Semillon Blanc, Semillon Gris, Palomino, Chenin Blanc and Muscat d' Alexandrie. Naturally fermented and aged in older foudre and then bottled from the lees. Stone fruit, straw, a rarity.
Treinspoor
Sadie Family Wines
Swartland – Malmesbury
Tinta Barrocca planted on an alluvial plain in the Swartland with plenty of quartz. The capsule glistens. And adjacent to an old railway line. 50% whole cluster fermented and aged in neutral conical casks and then settled in concrete before bottling off the lees. Plum, graphite, mineral.
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