Vinous (92+)

The 2016 Elpidios is a blend of red Rhône varieties, although with new vineyard plantings there is more Carignan. It includes 30% to 50% whole bunches and was matured in used French oak for 12 months, and another 12 months in bottle. It has a backward bouquet at first that opens with time, but it is very well defined, featuring blackberry, clove, bay leaf and white pepper, very understated in style but gaining clarity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin, quite insistent in terms of grip, and possesses fine backbone courtesy of the Carignan on the slightly ferrous finish. Excellent.

Vinous (93)

The 2017 Elpidios spends an extra year in bottle compared to Sadie’s other wines. For the first year, the blend is based on Grenache (31%), plus 30% Syrah, 19% Carignan, 10% Cinsault and 10% Pinotage, with around 50% whole bunch across the range, matured in 500-liter barrels and foudres. It offers cranberry and pomegranate scents on the deep, broody nose; tertiary/undergrowth notes originate from the whole-bunch addition. The palate is medium-bodied with dark cherry, hoisin and light black pepper notes from the Carignan. This is fresh and vibrant, not powerful or deep, yet perfectly proportioned toward the finish. Very fine, and it should drink with about a year in bottle.

Tim Atkin MW (94)

Made in the last of the so-called drought vintages, this stylish red assemblage has been Grenache-led since 2017, with 62% Syrah, Pinotage, Carignan and Cinsault completing the picture. Grippy, firm and stony, with 50% whole bunch spices, a waft of rose petal and tangy red cherry, plum and redcurrant fruit. 2022-28

Tim Atkin MW (96)

One of a trio of world-class single site Chenin Blancs from David and Nadie Sadie (no relation to Eben, by the way), this hails from a two-hectare vineyard that was planted in 1968 and is often picked late. Completing full malolactic - such is the acidity in the grapes - this is leesy, focused and taut, with some ferrous grip and a textured palate. 2021-29

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Hoë-Steen comes from a 1968 vineyard to the west of Malmesbury on deep red iron and clay-rich soils. Broader and richer than the other single site Chenins from the Sadies, with some ferrous grip, fine oak integration, pear, cream and stone fruit flavours and a taut finish.

Vinous (94)

The name of the maiden 2018 Plat’bos (“low bush”) indicates the kind of vines it comes from, lying in a vineyard adjacent to the Skaliekop on pure granite soils. It has a unapologetically silty, stony bouquet, very reserved and austere yet with an enthralling intensity that seems almost paradoxical. The palate is very well balanced. Perhaps one of the most concentrated of David and Nadia Sadie’s wines, it reveals a crescendo of flavors, with tangerine, citrus peel, stem ginger and a touch of rhubarb toward the persistent finish. This is another impressive Chenin from this producer.

Tim Atkin MW (98)

David & Nadia Sadie are now part of an elite group of South African Chenin Blanc producers, making world-class wines on a consistent basis. This is my favourite of their trio of single vineyard wines in 2019, sourced from a 3.9-hectare site on granite soils on the Paardeberg. Tight, taut and floral, with comparatively low alcohol, mouth-watering freshness, precision and acidity, notes of fennel, apple and gunflint and a lingering finish. A Cape Grand Cru. 2021-32

Tim Atkin MW (98)

One of the great whites of the southern hemisphere, not just of South Africa, this is the Montrachet of Chenin Blanc. Made with three different pickings from the top part of the Paardebosch farm, it has the concentration of its 40-year-old vines, mouth-watering acidity and pH, chiselled freshness and layers of rock salt, aromatic spices, pear and lemongrass.

Vinous (93)

The 2018 Skaliekop comes from shale soils in the Paaderberg subregion, the Chenin Blanc vines planted in 1985. It is blessed with a very aromatic bouquet of pressed white flowers and jasmine; a little honeysuckle emerges with time. The palate is fresh on the entry with a fine bead of acidity. This is understated and very well balanced, and quite reminiscent of Chris Alheit’s style of winemaking. A delicious tang of sea salt appears toward the finish. One of those wines where the adage “more is better” is surely apt.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Skaliekop is a shallow shale site on the Paardebosch farm that benefited from the addition of moisture-retaining mulch in 2019. Yeasty, leesy and broader than the other two single vineyard Sadie Chenins, this has notes of citrus peel and beeswax, plenty of weight and a stony finish. 2021-29

Christian Eedes (96)

This vineyard, on decomposed granite, is adjacent to Skaliekop but is slightly older having been in planted in 1981. Bewitching aromatics of flowers and herbs before pear, peach and citrus while the palate shows great focus and tension, electric acidity playing off against perfectly delineated fruit, the finish long and dry.

Vinous (92)

The 2018 Chenin Blanc comes from seven vineyards, the vines planted between 1962 and 1982 (and therefore eligible for the “Old Vine Project”). It has a lovely bouquet of apricot blossom, white peach, pine nuts and orange pith, the latter becoming more pronounced with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a smooth, rounded texture. This is a slightly richer Chenin Blanc from Sadie, yet still very well balanced. Nashi pear and clementine notes appear toward the elegant, almost understated finish. Top-class. Just 5,000 bottles.

Tim Atkin MW (94)

This is "just" the basic Chenin Blanc from David and Nadia Sadie, but it's better than most wineries' single vineyard releases. Made with fruit from seven sites, all of them old vines, it's a focused, linear, Paardeberg-dominated style with mealy, citrus flavours, some lanolin and piercing freshness. 2021-27

Tim Atkin MW (94)

This is "just" the basic Chenin Blanc from David and Nadia Sadie, but it's better than many people's top wine. Made with fruit from seven vineyards, four of them on decomposed granite, this is a classy, understated white with negligible oak, layered citrus and beeswax flavours, a hint of aniseed and stony grip. 2022-28

Vinous (93)

The 2017 Grenache comes from two dry-farmed vineyards and saw three-and-a-half weeks’ skin contact, including 30% to 50% whole bunches, the remainder destemmed but not crushed, then matured in used oak for 12 months. It has a perfumed bouquet of mineral-rich cranberry and crushed strawberry aromas, very detailed and focused. The harmonious palate is medium-bodied, with sappy red berry fruit laced with white pepper and clove, leading into a natural, white-pepper-infused finish that lingers in the mouth. Classic Swartland Grenache.

Vinous (92)

The 2018 Grenache includes 60% whole bunches and comes from two main sites, on iron and granite soils. It has a lovely, very pure bouquet of red cherries, crushed strawberry, pressed flowers and wild hedgerow, all extremely natural and well defined. The palate is fresh on the entry, offering plenty of crunchy fruit and oddly reminiscent of an artisan Beaujolais. The light but energetic, tensile finish has just enough dryness to encourage another sip. Very fine.

Jancis Robinson (17)

Very pale ruby indeed – an extremely distinctive pallor. Delicately sweet, fruity nose that would not be out of place in, say, Auxey-Duresses. Then a hint of gaminess and some light graininess that I associate with concrete. Wonderfully ethereal delicacy that positively dances on the palate. This seems absolutely ready now but has substance and persistence so should be no fly-by-night. Extremely playful, but be careful not to serve it with food that's too powerful. Not our merguez sausages planned for tonight, methinks. This would respond well to light chilling and shellfish or chicken.

Tim Atkin MW (93)

First made in 2011, the Sadies' Grenache combines fruit from granite, iron and schist soils. It's a refined, racy, low pH style, with notes of red cherry, cranberry and wild herbs, savoury tannins and fresh, mineral finish. 2023-28

Vinous (91-93)

(25% new oak): Bright yellow. A touch of reduction but still a captivating fruitiness to the aromas and flavors of lemon, lime and crushed stone. Rich, savory, concentrated wine with a restrained sweetness and enlivening underlying minerality. More tactile, pliant and deep than the Poruzots. This silky, edge-free wine finishes classically dry and long, with lovely lemony lift and grip.

Decanter (96)

The acclaimed Peter-Allan Finlayson, whose own label is Crystallum, also makes the Gabriëlskloof wines. This cuvée is an effort to showcase the ‘national treasure’ that is old-vine Chenin, with grapes drawn mainly from Swartland but also Durbanville. Subtle and complex aromas of flowers, herbs, yellow apple, peach and spice, while the palate is dense and detailed and the finish gently savoury.

Experience the sublime elegance of the Heitz-Lochardet Meursault 1er Cru Perrieres 2020, a distinct representation of French winemaking prowess. Crafted in the renowned vineyards of Meursault, in the heart of Burgundy, this brilliant white wine tells the intimate story of its terroir. Conceived by Armand Heitz, a luminary in bio-dynamic viticulture, this transcendent Burgundy wine brings his philosophy of respecting the landscape and traditional winemaking methods to life.

The Heitz-Lochardet Meursault 1er Cru Perrieres 2020 is a superb Chardonnay that exudes nuanced brightness and profound minerality. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, allowing it to develop complex aromatic notes of citrus, white flowers and a subtle hint of oak. On the palate, it offers an exquisite balance of ripe fruit flavours, vibrant acidity, and a sophisticated mineral undertone that lingers long after the last sip. A celebrated wine, not to be missed by true connoisseurs.

Burghound (91)

Sweet spot Outstanding Top value Notes of smoked hazelnut, poached pear and pretty acacia blossom scents introduce sleek, intense and beautifully delineated medium-bodied flavors that coat the palate on the clean, focused, balanced and beautifully long finale. This could use a bit more depth but overall, this is a first-rate Meursault villages.

Savour the exquisite quality of Hospices de Beaune Meursault 1er Cru Genevrieres Cuvee Baudot 2014, a fine vintage underpinned by a rich tradition in Burgundian wine-making. Produced from the revered vineyards of the Burgundy region, it hails from the Meursault 1er Cru Genevrieres domain, bearing testament to the esteemed reputability of Hospices de Beaune, world-renowned for their exceptional commitment to viticulture mastery.

This critically acclaimed, full-bodied Chardonnay is expertly hand-harvested, preserving the purity and intensity of the fruit. The microclimate and rich soils have endowed it with exceptional terroir complexity, offering sophisticated layers of ripe apples, roasted nuts and hints of honeysuckle on the palate.

With age, Hospices de Beaune Meursault 1er Cru Genevrieres Cuvee Baudot 2014 develops bracing mineral undertones, becoming more nuanced and vibrant. This wine is a true representation of elegant French viniculture, an exquisite choice for the discerning collector.

Vinous (88-90)

The 2020 Meursault Les Gruyaches just feels a little simple compared to some of the top Village Crus that I encountered from this appellation. The palate is well balanced with good weight, a fine bead of acidity here with orange zest and light mango notes lending a tropical touch. Enjoy this over the next decade.

Vinous (90+)

(Jobard lost 40% of the crop here as both his lowest and highest vines were affected by frost; he described this as the worst frost year in this cru since 1981): Ripe yellow fruits and spices on the nose; a bit less floral than the Blagny. Sappier than the Blagny, showing good citrussy energy and a savory quality. Nicely concentrated but less refined and elegant than the Blagny. Finishes a tad spiky and phenolic, in need of time to find its ultimate harmony.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2018 Meursault Poruzots 1er Cru comes courtesy of 0.79 hectares of vine planted between 1972 and 1994. It is well defined on the nose, offering scents of hazelnut and grilled walnut, hints of orange blossom and a very faint menthol notes. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, a judicious tang of ginger that lends tension, and impressive depth toward the finish, which lingers in the mouth. Superb.