There used to be an idea that if you wanted to belong to the wine world elite, you had to be more European than the Europeans. And by European, we mean French. Bordeaux-style, Rhône-style, Provance-style — all around the Cape, Groendruif (Sémillon), Hermityk (Cinsaut) and Fransdruif (Palomino) were ripped out to make way for more market-pleasing, beret-wearing Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in hopes of entry to the red-roped private members club of world-class wines.
And then came Eben Sadie.
Allowing his wines to be their veldskoen-clad selves, Sadie Family Wines are sourced from historic cultivars grown on older vines from across the Swartland, Citrusdal Mountain and Stellenbosch. These are wines shaped by millennia-old soils rather than trends. Carving out a cult-like status, Sadie Family Wines are less Soho House and more Berghain.
Despite climate change altering the rhythms of nature (Sadie’s 54 vineyards used to be harvested over a 4-month period — now, it happens in just 5 weeks), as well as this being Paul Jordaan’s final year as winemaker, the 2024 release is impressive.
The Soldaat, Pofadder and Treinspoor are an incredible trio, showcasing back-to-back elegance. With the rise in popularity of Grenache in South Africa, the nervous energy of the Soldaat is one that will see it last a lifetime. Planted on iron rich slate, the Pofadder Cinsaut is a nod to the red grape that carried the wine industry on its back. It’s a magnificent site, producing grapes that look like they came out of a Woolies punnet, yet with a deceptively firm mouthfeel. With Swartland being home to the largest Tinta Barocca plantings in the world, it’s no wonder that the Treinspoor is one of Eben’s favourite grapes to work with, carrying its soil into the bottle with notes of earth and spice.
The three single Chenin Blancs provide a fascinating comparative tasting experience from north to south. Skurfberg in Citrusdal Mountain, according to Paul, is basically the Cederberg with vines, giving you fruit salad on the palate. Grown on the Sadie property, the Rotsbank is the steeliest Chenin Eben knows, with a structured oyster shell minerality. The most southern of the three located in Stellenbosch suburbia, Mev. Kirsten is also the oldest Chenin block in South Africa, which the Sadies have invested decades into rehabilitating. “It’s a beast of a wine,” says Eben.
The Columella 2022 ushers in the first-time inclusion of homegrown Pinotage, yet, Eben notes, Tinta Barocca still plays the hero of place in this blend. “It’s almost too delicious. This wine is going to age incredibly – it might even beat the 2021.” The 2021 vintage scored 98 points from both Tim Atkin and Wine Advocate… However, it’s still the Palladius, showcasing a Swartland canvas of 11 varietals, that is by and large the most pleasurable wine of the line up.
Despite Sadie’s astronomic success, Eben is not interested in billionaires “landing with their helicopters and kak”. What truly impresses him is when his farm workers send him a message with a picture of a freshly caught yellowtail and a bottle of Kokerboom enjoyed at the perfect temperature at the perfect time. “I’m South African, I want South Africans to drink it.” That being said, he also emphasises the need for premium wines to age, urging them to be given the respect of time: “Stop sending me WhatsApps of you drinking the 2021 Columella!” These are wines meant to be enjoyed with your children, creating good memories around the table 30 or even 40 years from now.
Sadie Family Wines have circumnavigated the red rope rules, and are, without doubt, world-class. Will they conform and give in to upper echelon pressure, such as the clamouring for a Sadie Chardonnay? Probably not. “It just doesn’t fit our vibe.”
