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 | 2023 t Voetpad - Sadie Family Wines | € 86,20 (€ 104,30) |
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IN DE PERS 94 Neal Martin - vinous.com (September 2024) The 2023 Voetpad comes from a parcel of co-planted Chenin Blanc, Sémillon Bland and Sémillon Gris that Eben Sadie confessed is very difficult to work. It was originally planted for distillation purposes. This has a muted nose at first but then unfurls with linseed, grilled hazelnut and light earthy scents. The palate is finely balanced with a phenolic entry, a sharp line of acidity and a finish seasoned with stem ginger and orange rind. Wonderful. Drink 2025-2045. Last year, Eben Sadie walked me through his winery, which was basically just four walls and half a roof. Twelve months and a lot of sleepless nights later, the finishing touches are being applied. Wow, it’s impressive. Every last detail has been considered in terms of functionality, aesthetics and sustainability. In the upstairs tasting room, you find a fully-equipped kitchen that most restaurants can only dream about, though Sadie has no plans to open one. It’s for his workers. Indeed, he stressed the importance of hiring local skilled labor. Downstairs, I walked through the vat room that has a high-ceilinged, cathedral-like design. All that’s missing is a stained-glass window. In Bordeaux, this would not look out of place, but in Swartland, it is a statement that is a testament to everything Sadie has achieved. It is concurrent with a turning of the page as his two sons, Markus and Xander, take increasing roles in the estate’s running. The 2023s, the last to be vinified in the old cellar, were on show. I asked Sadie his views on the growing season. “We used to pick over two months, but we now pick over 4 to 5 weeks,” Sadie explained. “Everything got massively compressed, but the new cellar gives us a logistical advantage. The 2023 and 2024 vintages have been difficult because of that compression. We are struggling with an absence of proper spring. Our summers start late, and picking dates [for each of the vineyards around the Cape] are around the same time. So, there's three weeks less hang time that affects early ripening more than late-ripening grapes because the acid breaks down much quicker and can end up with 0.75% more alcohol unless you have no acid left. Potassium take-up in grapes is much greater, so since 2015, we have started de-stemming a lot more [since the stems hold potassium that reduces acidity]. Our major consideration is to be able to plant new varieties, and so we are interplanting around 15% of the area with varieties that have higher acid retention, such as Colombard, Petit Manseng and Grillo.” There is no point in analyzing every wine, as my euphoric tasting notes express how impressive his 2023 is. But I must mention the second vintage of his Chenin Blanc, the 2023 Rotsbank, which sent tingles down my spine with its nascent energy and complexity. Also, his white blend Palladius, the 2022 vintage, is the wine that Eben said he had always wanted to make and certainly the best that I have tasted. EBEN SADIE The name means The Footpath in Dutch, and comes from the name of Dirk Brand’s wheat and rooibos tea farm, where the rustic block of old vines is tucked away. This is surely the most isolated old vineyard in the country, presumably originally planted to supply the farmer and his neighbours. Its 1.4 hectares host varieties established in the Cape since the early days of European settlement, with most of the planting done between 1887 – 1928, and all of the vines grow on their own roots . The vineyard’s survival without irrigation is also extraordinary in this hot valley in the north of the huge Swartland region, near the village of Aurora and Elands Bay on the coast. Its precise location has allowed it to survive, with an underground river flowing beneath it from the mountains. The wine is incredibly balanced and compact. We are looking forward to trying it again in 4 to 20 years to see where its development takes it. VINIFICATION | Voetpad is a field blend of all the varieties - they are picked together in one morning. The grapes are picked and placed overnight in a cool room and pressed whole bunch the following day. The juice is then transferred to an old foudre where it is left undisturbed until natural fermentation starts. AGEING | The wine is left in casks and foudre for the entire first 12 months on the fermentation lees and we bottle from the lees. Two weeks prior to bottling we transfer the wine to a blending tank and add around 60 mg/litre of sulphur for protection during bottling. The wine normally settles to perfect clarity and can then be bottled unfiltered. NOTES | This 2023 ‘T Voetpad displays limey, cordial, and citrus aspects with a racy entry point.The wine is firm and tightly coiled up, and it seems it is almost not ready to talk to us yet! It needs so much time.This vintage field blend is in perfect harmony, but we believe this will become one of the most age-worthy proponents. Swartland / Semillon Blanc, Semillon Gris, Palomino, Chenin Blanc & Muscat d’ Alexandrie of Groendruif, Vaalblaar, Steen & Hanepoot / 12 months aging in old Acacia and Oak foudres / Decomposed Table Mountain Sandstone on a Loam base. 13 hl/ha / 13,47% / 1,9 g/l / pH 3,37 / TA 5,8 g/l / Total Sulphur 82 mg/l Sadie Family WinesWinery of the Year - Platter’s South African Wine Guide 2015 SadieThe Swartland Independent Producers veranderen Zuid Afrika als wijnland. Hun pionier is één van de beste wijnmakers ter wereld (en een ervaren surfer) genaamd Eben Sadie. Hij wordt vereerd als National Treasure en gamechanger. Hij ontgint wonderlijke terroirs, herstelt verwaarloosde bushvines en leidt de avant-garde in doordachte wijnbouw en vinificatie. Zijn Columella en Palladius zijn de eerste Afrikaanse Grands Vins. Daarnaast biedt zijn iconische “Ouwingerdreeks” kleine loten eigenzinnige bewaarwijnen uit specifieke climats. Appreciëer deze boeiende en betekenisvolle wijnen zolang de voorraad strekt. 2017 Winemakers' Winemaker Award, Institute of Masters of Wine Jane Masters MW, chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine - Eben’s determined search to produce outstanding wines has put Swartland and South Africa on the map. I am delighted that the Master of Wine Winemakers have rewarded his dedication and talent – it’s truly well deserved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||