Sadie Family
Considered by many to be South Africa's first bona fide celebrity winemaker, Eben Sadie is the man responsible for some of the country's most sought after, iconic wines. Columella, the Pofadder and Palladius are all must-haves for devotees of South African wine. Classic to their Swartland origin with a world class sense of quality and poise these are arguably the pinnacle of South African wine.
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Vinous - Neal Martin (93)
This bottle of the 2015 Columella is better than the one poured blind at the 10-Year-On tasting in London just a few weeks earlier. It has a floral bouquet with black plum, blueberry and light garrigue scents, the whole bunch imparting a subtle pepperiness. The palate is quite sweet on the entry, the tannins saturated and just a little glossier than the '12. Fine grip, but backward on the finish, suggesting that this will benefit from continued time in the cellar. Tasted at the Columella vertical in Hong Kong.Inc. VAT£921.60 -
Vinous (93)
The 2016 Columella was matured for 12 months in 10% new oak and then 12 months in old foudres. There is something warm and comforting about the nose: blueberry, crushed violet, a touch of burning embers, almost a damp clay scent. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin, the Syrah not as pronounced as previous vintages (a policy pursued by Eben as he increased Grenache), and delivering gentle grip toward the slightly peppered finish and long, black-pepper-tinged aftertaste. Very impressive.Inc. VAT£879.12 -
Decanter (98)
Complex nose already: beautifully exuberant nose of damsons and flowers – the Carignan really coming through at this early stage. A herbal, stemmy element is also quite noticeable but well balanced. Full-bodied on the palate but only just, with a lovely sense of fluidity, slightly granular tannins and fine acidity – everything is in its place, and is delicious now, but will improve and build further complexity. If possible, wait until 2026 to broach. Long, so expressive and unique. Various soils: granite, slate, clay, gravel. Three weeks' fermentation and three weeks maceration in 3,300L open-top concrete fermenters. Aged for 12 months on the lees in small barrels (5% new), then a further 12 months on fine lees in large wooden foudres. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.Inc. VAT£796.32 -
Wine Advocate (98)
From the first sniff, the 2020 Columella is an instant champion that is pointing and swinging for the fence. With its fresh frame of fruit and expertly layered oaky essences, the wine is incredibly complex as it bursts from the glass with precision and finesse. Medium-bodied and with 13.5% alcohol, the Columella somersaults into a phantasmagoria of bright crunchy red fruit flavors and seductive floral essences that makes my head spin. Collectors will take note and add a couple of bottles of this to their cellar. It’s an absolutely stellar bottling that will age gracefully for decades.Inc. VAT£994.32 -
Inc. VAT£863.15 -
(1x75cl) 2022Tim Atkin MW (99)
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, seven of which are on the Paardeberg, this features components from slate, gravel, granite and sandstone soils and is 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. Wonderful stuff.Inc. VAT£177.85 -
(1x75cl) 2021Vinous (93)
The 2021 Mev. Kirsten is pure Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch. It has an expressive, slightly slatey in style, gaining intensity with aeration, hints of broom. The palate is beautifully balanced and poised, very mineral-driven, tensile and steely with just a hint of orange rind on the chiselled finish. Don't think about opening a bottle for a decade (even though you will).Inc. VAT£204.53 -
Inc. VAT£245.33 -
Wine Advocate (97+)
Chenin Blanc vines for this wine were planted in 1905, so the winery believes, although the records are not totally clear. The site has decomposed granite over alluvial soils and quartz. These conditions add to the textural volume of The Sadie Family's 2023 Stellenbosch Old Vine Series Mev. Kirsten and its beautiful sense of phenolic richness. The bouquet is crisp and bright with crunchy fruit, pithy apple, pear and tart pomelo fruit that adds lasting freshness. The mouthfeel proceeds with silky viscosity and complexity that can only be achieved with old-vine fruit. However, the wine also manages impressive vertical lift and tension. Like the other white wines in this series, aging takes place for 12 months in old foudre. Given the growing conditions at a moderate 185 meters above sea level, the Mev. Kirsten carries the most fruit weight in this series of Chenin Blancs (or Steen) from different denominations.Inc. VAT£957.20 -
(1x75cl) 2017Vinous (93)
The 2017 Palladius is matured in a mixture of concrete and clay. It gradually unfurls with brioche, praline and honeysuckle aromas, wonderfully focused and precise. The well-balanced palate delivers orange zest and tangerine on the entry. The acidity is very well judged and there is real brightness and tension toward the finish. Is it the most complex Palladius Sadie has ever made? Maybe not, but it is still a beautiful wine.Inc. VAT£162.25 -
(6x75cl) 2022Wine Advocate (98)
I am a white wine fanatic, and this very special wine blew me away. The Sadie Family's 2022 Swartland Palladius is a blend of 11 grapes from 17 distinct vineyard sites with old vines. The grapes used are Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier, Verdelho, Roussanne, Marsanne, Semillon Gris, Sémillon, Palomino and Colombard. The various vineyards are located in Paardeberg, Piketberg and Saint Helena Bay. "This is the most complex wine and difficult to make," says Eben Sadie. "A white wine needs to achieve more than a red." Made with blends and co-ferments, the Palladius presents challenges during harvest, as the fruit begins to come in at various stages and the tanks begin to fill. It sees 12 months in amphorae and concrete, plus 12 months in old foudre. It presents a spectacular collection of stone fruit aromas, lemon blossom, pastry cream filling, saffron and light spice. The Palladius is silky, textured and has enough structure for long cellar aging. This is indeed a star of the Southern Hemisphere.Inc. VAT£827.68 -
(1x75cl) 2013Wine Advocate (95)
The 2013 Old Vine Series Pofadder brings to mind estuarine scents of mudflats and seaweed on the nose – you can almost hear the yacht’s ringing chiming in the breeze. The palate is very harmonious with crisp red cherry fruit, fresh strawberry and a touch of white pepper over a lattice of fine tannins, charged with immense vivacity and energy on the finish. This is simply beautiful.Inc. VAT£163.73 -
Vinous (96)
The 2018 Pofadder in Eben Sadie’s Cinsault from Swartland. This is complex and intellectual, yet utterly compelling, with beautifully detailed brambly red berry fruit, fennel, thyme and fynbos scents that blossom with aeration. The very detailed palate displays filigreed tannins, incredible focus and arresting purity through to the lightly spiced finish. This is one of the best from Sadie this vintage.Inc. VAT£117.59 -
Inc. VAT£104.93 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (95)
The 2017 Skerpioen has gotten even better compared to when I tasted it just after bottling. This has a glorious bouquet with scents of beeswax, yellow fruit, just a light touch of oatmeal, astounding delineation and freshness. The palate is fresh and saline, quite linear and, as I suggested back then, quite Chablis-like in terms of its marine/oyster shell influence. Tensile, tightly coiled on the finish, there is little not to love about this Chenin and Palomino blend. Tasted at the Columella vertical in Hong Kong.Inc. VAT£144.53 -
Vinous (91)
The 2018 Skerpioen, a field blend of Chenin Blanc and Palomino, has a detailed bouquet of pressed white flowers, honeysuckle and dried apricot aromas that blossom with aeration. The palate is taut and fresh, and the saline finish remains tight and linear, perhaps just tapering a little earlier than I might have liked. Otherwise, this is very fine.Inc. VAT£147.44 -
Vinous (93)
The 2019 Skerpioen has a well-defined bouquet of pine cones, lanolin and wild fennel aromas that gains intensity with air. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, full of energy and vigor, and slightly waxy in texture. Chamomile and touches of Turkish delight appear on the finish. Stand back and watch this blossom in the glass.Inc. VAT£164.93 -
Inc. VAT£112.64 -
Vinous (93)
The 2021 Skerpioen is the Chenin Blanc and Palomino blend grown on limestone soils close to the coast that is matured in foudres with 10-11 months on the lees. It has a well-defined bouquet with iodine and saline notes on the nose that is slightly more neutral in style compared to Sadie's other whites. The palate is very well balanced, again, quite neutral in style, very saline with shades of nutmeg and lemon thyme, a saline tang surfacing towards the persistent finish. Uncompromising...in a positive sense of the word.Inc. VAT£114.53 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The Sadie Family's 2023 Swartland Old Vine Series Skerpioen is Chenin Blanc and Palomino planted together on white limestone soils with a sandy top layer. The Chenin Blanc is picked on the underripe side, and the Palomino is picked ripe and golden yellow in color. "I am site-driven, not variety-driven," says Winemaker Eben Sadie. "My goal is to make the most honest wine from a singular site." I love the intensity of the Skerpioen, which is delivered vertically in terms of the brightness of its aromas and horizontally in terms of the pretty richness of the mouthfeel. There are hints of waxy Meyer lemon, sea salt and a hint of rubber latex. It matures in old acacia and oak foudre for 12 months.Inc. VAT£510.80 -
Inc. VAT£293.33 -
(1x75cl) 2018Vinous (94)
The 2018 Skurfberg, Sadie’s Chenin Blanc from Olifantsrivier, has a very neutral, pressed flower bouquet that is much more backward than the other crus. The well-balanced palate presents veins of marmalade and orange peel, wonderful tension and superb precision on the finish. Though backward at the moment, this will certainly repay cellaring.Inc. VAT£297.85 -
(1x75cl) 2022Inc. VAT£148.13 -
Vinous (95)
The 2018 Soldaat is pure Grenache Noir from Piekenierskloof. It offers earthy red berry fruit on the nose, touches of wild heather and fynbos emerging with time and lending wonderful complexity. The palate is well balanced with a fleshy opening. There are layers of vibrant red cherry and strawberry fruit laced with white pepper and sage toward the persistent finish. Yet there is an approachability to this Soldaat that means it will be difficult to resist in its youth.Inc. VAT£155.99 -
(6x75cl) 2019Vinous (95)
The 2019 Soldaat contains 80% whole clusters and spent three weeks on the skins, then matured in concrete. It has a very distinctive bouquet of open scents of brambly red fruit, sage, oregano and light tobacco scents that are very well defined. The palate is beautifully balanced and silky-smooth in texture with perfectly pitched acidity. What you call a "transparent" wine, as if you can peer right through it, yet it does not stint on intensity of flavor. Slightly earthy red fruit on the finish. Outstanding.Inc. VAT£924.80 -
Vinous (95+)
The 2018 Treinspoor is pure Tinta Barocca from Swartland aged in old foudres. Its perfumed bouquet is much more floral than the Pofadder, with incense and pressed iris flower infusing the red berry fruit, and displays wonderful energy and precision. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and a crisp, quite saline finish that lingers long in the mouth. I noticed it tightening up in the glass, and maybe this will shut down for a while, so drink soon or cellar for several years.Inc. VAT£127.19 -
Vinous (96)
The 2021 Treinspoor is Sadie's Tinta Barocca that the man himself likens to Nebbiolo, also opining that it is a wine that needs considerable ageing. These vines were planted in 1974, and the blend includes 40% whole clusters. It has a complex, succinctly defined bouquet with melted tar and graphite infused dark berry fruit, a hint of Lapsang Souchong. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly-tuned acidity, almost Burgundian in texture yet with more pepperiness towards the finish. So elegant and harmonious - this is stunning from every angle you look at it.Inc. VAT£552.80 -
(6x75cl) 2022Vinous - Neal Martin (97)
The 2022 Treinspoor is pure Swartland Tinta Barocca that includes 50% whole clusters, 20 to 28 days on the skins and matured in old foudres. The bouquet is a little plusher on the nose than the Pofadder, with crushed rose petals and fynbos - garrigue. Stunning delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins, perfectly balanced, and a touch of graphite. It’s quite saline on the finish with a pinch of white pepper. All this is delivered at just 13.1% alcohol. Sadie reckons this grape variety is a long-term player, and I've no reason to disagree. Sublime.Inc. VAT£640.04
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Vinous - Neal Martin (93)
This bottle of the 2015 Columella is better than the one poured blind at the 10-Year-On tasting in London just a few weeks earlier. It has a floral bouquet with black plum, blueberry and light garrigue scents, the whole bunch imparting a subtle pepperiness. The palate is quite sweet on the entry, the tannins saturated and just a little glossier than the '12. Fine grip, but backward on the finish, suggesting that this will benefit from continued time in the cellar. Tasted at the Columella vertical in Hong Kong.Inc. VAT£921.60 -
Vinous (93)
The 2016 Columella was matured for 12 months in 10% new oak and then 12 months in old foudres. There is something warm and comforting about the nose: blueberry, crushed violet, a touch of burning embers, almost a damp clay scent. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin, the Syrah not as pronounced as previous vintages (a policy pursued by Eben as he increased Grenache), and delivering gentle grip toward the slightly peppered finish and long, black-pepper-tinged aftertaste. Very impressive.In Bond£714.00 -
Decanter (98)
Complex nose already: beautifully exuberant nose of damsons and flowers – the Carignan really coming through at this early stage. A herbal, stemmy element is also quite noticeable but well balanced. Full-bodied on the palate but only just, with a lovely sense of fluidity, slightly granular tannins and fine acidity – everything is in its place, and is delicious now, but will improve and build further complexity. If possible, wait until 2026 to broach. Long, so expressive and unique. Various soils: granite, slate, clay, gravel. Three weeks' fermentation and three weeks maceration in 3,300L open-top concrete fermenters. Aged for 12 months on the lees in small barrels (5% new), then a further 12 months on fine lees in large wooden foudres. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.In Bond£645.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
From the first sniff, the 2020 Columella is an instant champion that is pointing and swinging for the fence. With its fresh frame of fruit and expertly layered oaky essences, the wine is incredibly complex as it bursts from the glass with precision and finesse. Medium-bodied and with 13.5% alcohol, the Columella somersaults into a phantasmagoria of bright crunchy red fruit flavors and seductive floral essences that makes my head spin. Collectors will take note and add a couple of bottles of this to their cellar. It’s an absolutely stellar bottling that will age gracefully for decades.In Bond£810.00 -
In Bond£700.00
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(1x75cl) 2022
Tim Atkin MW (99)
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, seven of which are on the Paardeberg, this features components from slate, gravel, granite and sandstone soils and is 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. Wonderful stuff.In Bond£145.00 -
(1x75cl) 2021
Vinous (93)
The 2021 Mev. Kirsten is pure Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch. It has an expressive, slightly slatey in style, gaining intensity with aeration, hints of broom. The palate is beautifully balanced and poised, very mineral-driven, tensile and steely with just a hint of orange rind on the chiselled finish. Don't think about opening a bottle for a decade (even though you will).In Bond£167.00 -
Inc. VAT£241.20
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Wine Advocate (97+)
Chenin Blanc vines for this wine were planted in 1905, so the winery believes, although the records are not totally clear. The site has decomposed granite over alluvial soils and quartz. These conditions add to the textural volume of The Sadie Family's 2023 Stellenbosch Old Vine Series Mev. Kirsten and its beautiful sense of phenolic richness. The bouquet is crisp and bright with crunchy fruit, pithy apple, pear and tart pomelo fruit that adds lasting freshness. The mouthfeel proceeds with silky viscosity and complexity that can only be achieved with old-vine fruit. However, the wine also manages impressive vertical lift and tension. Like the other white wines in this series, aging takes place for 12 months in old foudre. Given the growing conditions at a moderate 185 meters above sea level, the Mev. Kirsten carries the most fruit weight in this series of Chenin Blancs (or Steen) from different denominations.In Bond£777.00 -
(1x75cl) 2017
Vinous (93)
The 2017 Palladius is matured in a mixture of concrete and clay. It gradually unfurls with brioche, praline and honeysuckle aromas, wonderfully focused and precise. The well-balanced palate delivers orange zest and tangerine on the entry. The acidity is very well judged and there is real brightness and tension toward the finish. Is it the most complex Palladius Sadie has ever made? Maybe not, but it is still a beautiful wine.In Bond£132.00 -
(6x75cl) 2022
Wine Advocate (98)
I am a white wine fanatic, and this very special wine blew me away. The Sadie Family's 2022 Swartland Palladius is a blend of 11 grapes from 17 distinct vineyard sites with old vines. The grapes used are Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier, Verdelho, Roussanne, Marsanne, Semillon Gris, Sémillon, Palomino and Colombard. The various vineyards are located in Paardeberg, Piketberg and Saint Helena Bay. "This is the most complex wine and difficult to make," says Eben Sadie. "A white wine needs to achieve more than a red." Made with blends and co-ferments, the Palladius presents challenges during harvest, as the fruit begins to come in at various stages and the tanks begin to fill. It sees 12 months in amphorae and concrete, plus 12 months in old foudre. It presents a spectacular collection of stone fruit aromas, lemon blossom, pastry cream filling, saffron and light spice. The Palladius is silky, textured and has enough structure for long cellar aging. This is indeed a star of the Southern Hemisphere.In Bond£671.13 -
(1x75cl) 2013
Wine Advocate (95)
The 2013 Old Vine Series Pofadder brings to mind estuarine scents of mudflats and seaweed on the nose – you can almost hear the yacht’s ringing chiming in the breeze. The palate is very harmonious with crisp red cherry fruit, fresh strawberry and a touch of white pepper over a lattice of fine tannins, charged with immense vivacity and energy on the finish. This is simply beautiful.In Bond£133.00 -
Vinous (96)
The 2018 Pofadder in Eben Sadie’s Cinsault from Swartland. This is complex and intellectual, yet utterly compelling, with beautifully detailed brambly red berry fruit, fennel, thyme and fynbos scents that blossom with aeration. The very detailed palate displays filigreed tannins, incredible focus and arresting purity through to the lightly spiced finish. This is one of the best from Sadie this vintage.In Bond£95.00 -
In Bond£84.00
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Vinous - Neal Martin (95)
The 2017 Skerpioen has gotten even better compared to when I tasted it just after bottling. This has a glorious bouquet with scents of beeswax, yellow fruit, just a light touch of oatmeal, astounding delineation and freshness. The palate is fresh and saline, quite linear and, as I suggested back then, quite Chablis-like in terms of its marine/oyster shell influence. Tensile, tightly coiled on the finish, there is little not to love about this Chenin and Palomino blend. Tasted at the Columella vertical in Hong Kong.In Bond£117.00 -
Vinous (91)
The 2018 Skerpioen, a field blend of Chenin Blanc and Palomino, has a detailed bouquet of pressed white flowers, honeysuckle and dried apricot aromas that blossom with aeration. The palate is taut and fresh, and the saline finish remains tight and linear, perhaps just tapering a little earlier than I might have liked. Otherwise, this is very fine.In Bond£120.00 -
Vinous (93)
The 2019 Skerpioen has a well-defined bouquet of pine cones, lanolin and wild fennel aromas that gains intensity with air. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, full of energy and vigor, and slightly waxy in texture. Chamomile and touches of Turkish delight appear on the finish. Stand back and watch this blossom in the glass.Inc. VAT£160.80 -
In Bond£91.00
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Vinous (93)
The 2021 Skerpioen is the Chenin Blanc and Palomino blend grown on limestone soils close to the coast that is matured in foudres with 10-11 months on the lees. It has a well-defined bouquet with iodine and saline notes on the nose that is slightly more neutral in style compared to Sadie's other whites. The palate is very well balanced, again, quite neutral in style, very saline with shades of nutmeg and lemon thyme, a saline tang surfacing towards the persistent finish. Uncompromising...in a positive sense of the word.In Bond£92.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The Sadie Family's 2023 Swartland Old Vine Series Skerpioen is Chenin Blanc and Palomino planted together on white limestone soils with a sandy top layer. The Chenin Blanc is picked on the underripe side, and the Palomino is picked ripe and golden yellow in color. "I am site-driven, not variety-driven," says Winemaker Eben Sadie. "My goal is to make the most honest wine from a singular site." I love the intensity of the Skerpioen, which is delivered vertically in terms of the brightness of its aromas and horizontally in terms of the pretty richness of the mouthfeel. There are hints of waxy Meyer lemon, sea salt and a hint of rubber latex. It matures in old acacia and oak foudre for 12 months.In Bond£405.00 -
In Bond£241.00
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(1x75cl) 2018
Vinous (94)
The 2018 Skurfberg, Sadie’s Chenin Blanc from Olifantsrivier, has a very neutral, pressed flower bouquet that is much more backward than the other crus. The well-balanced palate presents veins of marmalade and orange peel, wonderful tension and superb precision on the finish. Though backward at the moment, this will certainly repay cellaring.In Bond£245.00 -
(1x75cl) 2022In Bond£120.00
-
Vinous (95)
The 2018 Soldaat is pure Grenache Noir from Piekenierskloof. It offers earthy red berry fruit on the nose, touches of wild heather and fynbos emerging with time and lending wonderful complexity. The palate is well balanced with a fleshy opening. There are layers of vibrant red cherry and strawberry fruit laced with white pepper and sage toward the persistent finish. Yet there is an approachability to this Soldaat that means it will be difficult to resist in its youth.In Bond£127.00 -
(6x75cl) 2019
Vinous (95)
The 2019 Soldaat contains 80% whole clusters and spent three weeks on the skins, then matured in concrete. It has a very distinctive bouquet of open scents of brambly red fruit, sage, oregano and light tobacco scents that are very well defined. The palate is beautifully balanced and silky-smooth in texture with perfectly pitched acidity. What you call a "transparent" wine, as if you can peer right through it, yet it does not stint on intensity of flavor. Slightly earthy red fruit on the finish. Outstanding.In Bond£750.00 -
Vinous (95+)
The 2018 Treinspoor is pure Tinta Barocca from Swartland aged in old foudres. Its perfumed bouquet is much more floral than the Pofadder, with incense and pressed iris flower infusing the red berry fruit, and displays wonderful energy and precision. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and a crisp, quite saline finish that lingers long in the mouth. I noticed it tightening up in the glass, and maybe this will shut down for a while, so drink soon or cellar for several years.In Bond£103.00 -
Vinous (96)
The 2021 Treinspoor is Sadie's Tinta Barocca that the man himself likens to Nebbiolo, also opining that it is a wine that needs considerable ageing. These vines were planted in 1974, and the blend includes 40% whole clusters. It has a complex, succinctly defined bouquet with melted tar and graphite infused dark berry fruit, a hint of Lapsang Souchong. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly-tuned acidity, almost Burgundian in texture yet with more pepperiness towards the finish. So elegant and harmonious - this is stunning from every angle you look at it.In Bond£440.00 -
(6x75cl) 2022
Vinous - Neal Martin (97)
The 2022 Treinspoor is pure Swartland Tinta Barocca that includes 50% whole clusters, 20 to 28 days on the skins and matured in old foudres. The bouquet is a little plusher on the nose than the Pofadder, with crushed rose petals and fynbos - garrigue. Stunning delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins, perfectly balanced, and a touch of graphite. It’s quite saline on the finish with a pinch of white pepper. All this is delivered at just 13.1% alcohol. Sadie reckons this grape variety is a long-term player, and I've no reason to disagree. Sublime.In Bond£515.46
