Sonvang

Lamb shoulder slow-roasted with rosemary, thyme, and garlic.

The concept behind this wine is establishing a single vineyard site with futuristic grape varieties that will brace and stand in the future climate change. At the same time, the vineyard, with a myriad of dynamics and grape varieties, will enable us to produce a complex wine by virtue of its dynamics. It is very much a concept of “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” a quote attributed to Aristotle’s Metaphysics Book VIII.

After pressing, the wine is transferred to concrete tanks and older foudres that do not impart wooden flavours. The wooden staves’ age and saturation also make for a very slow reaction between the wine and oxygen. After 11 months on the lees, the wine is racked to tank, and we add 65mg/Litre of sulphur and bottle the wine from the fine lees.

This co-planted vineyard is planted on the western slope of the Paardeberg. Due to its aspect, it soaks up most of the afternoon sun, hence the name Sonvang (Sun Catch). On this slope, we are able to get the grapes to early maturity, especially on the earlier ripening varietals and, in most cases, with the initial fresh firm acidity. At this point, we are still having multiple picks, but in the future, with pruning dynamics and varied viticulture, we aim to have the entire spread as a singular pick and co-fermentation. We will get there, but for now, we need to get to know this vineyard. The grapes are fermented with 30% whole clusters and 70% being destemmed, and the fermentation is left for about 25 – 30 days before being pressed in an old basket press.

The Sadie Family strives for wines that are fresh flavorsome refined harmonious and balanced and aims to offer drinking pleasure at the highest level of quality at any stage of a wine's life: the wine-drinker's eagerness for a further glass is their measure of achievement! The Sadie's two wines Columella and Palladius originate in the soils in the Swartland region which stretches north of Cape Town between Durbanville and Piketberg inland from the Atlantic Ocean and centered on the town of Malmesbury. Importantly the area has a remarkably stable climate allowing a consistent level of quality each year in subtly different vintage conditions.