The other Swartland Sadie …

South African wine and the Swartland owes Eben Sadie a debt of gratitude. Along with Adi Badenhorst, Callie Louw of Porseleinberg and the Mullineuxs – Chris and Andrea, they were the prime movers behind the Swartland Revolution which made the hot, dry yet personality filled region a must-see for visiting wine buyers, critics and all round wine geeks.

The vinous colours nailed securely to the mast were predominantly Rhôneish – syrah/shiraz, mourvedre and grenache, all of which were celebrated in a variety of soils and terroirs. And the legacy of old bushvine chenin blanc was front-and-centre too.

That the Revolution achieved success is beyond doubt, and the region is now in an evolutionary phase, with the Swartland Independent Producers (SIP) building on those foundations established in November 2010.

In humble, trademark low key fashion, there’s another Sadie fashioning a revolution – David Sadie of David & Nadia wines. Within the space of a decade, the winemaking and viticultural duo have established a reputation for unrelenting quality and terroir expression, notably with their excellent range of site-specific chenin blancs, Hoë-Steen, Skaliekop, Platbos and now Rondevlei.

David & Nadia’s first bottling was in 2010, while the former was still working at Lemberg. The first ever release was a white blend, the Aristargos which the Platter Guide judged worthy of 4½ stars straight off the bat.

The tasting note read: “If you’re wondering why all the fuss about new-wave Swartland, try this perfumed & exotic beauty from 2010 chenin (51%), viognier, verdelho; boldly ripe, concentrated but so firmly anchored by acidity and textured minerality, the rich dried-fruit flavours trip lightly – and moreishly – on the palate.”

As reported in the 2012 edition of Platter: “Inspired by a crush in the Rhône Valley, David and Nadia Sadie are making their own wines from grapes sourced (initially) in the Swartland, where David grew up. First steps have been learning to understand the vineyards they’re buying grapes from, and their philosophy is about ‘balance in the soil, vineyard, grapes and people’ to create balanced wines, while striving for freshness and terroir expression. Further afield, their maiden 2010 Aristargos blend was one of Tomorrow’s Stars the the London International Wine Fair, sticking a wedge in the door of the UK market.”

The 2021 Aristargos differs quite significantly from the 2010 maiden bottling. The three-way blend has grown to a complex but deft nine-way blend! Chenin blanc is still firmly in charge with 49% but it has been joined by clairette blanche (9%), semillon (8%), grenache blanc and roussanne (7% each), verdelho and viognier with 6% each and marsanne and colombar chipping in 4% each.

The reason chenin leads is because of the Sadie’s belief in both the grape and Old Vines but also in the granitic soils of the Paardeberg. As stated on their website, “Dry land farmed bush vines have stood the test of time and it showcases the ultimate reason why chenin blanc is our main focus in the Swartland.”

The construction of the components in the blend are also not simple. There are 19 different vineyards and 21 different picking dates that go into Aristargos! Whole bunch pressing is where it starts. They eschew inoculation in favour of natural fermentation, along with a certain amount of skin contact on the semillon and colombar components. That, allied with gentle pressing and the use of neutral French oak (228, 300 & 400 litre barrels) as well as large format (2 500-litre) oak foudre and a 1 500-litre concrete egg is their choice. After just 11 months, the wine is blended and bottled, unfined.

Just a week or two ago, David Sadie stood in front of large gathering at the Westin Hotel in Cape Town to present his first ever wines for the prestigious Cape Winemakers Guild auction. Inducted as a member of the Guild, he spoke of his pride at being able to share a single parcel of grenache noir vinified specifically for the auction.

The affinity of Rhône grape varieties in the Swartland has been well established by the Revolutionaries –shiraz, mourvédre and grenache noir specifically, and most frequently as blending mates. But David & Nadia Sadie’s CWG grenache is beautiful in its subtlety. It’s almost ethereal in its delicacy and elegance. It’s beautifully perfumed with just a hint of rose petals on a ripe black fruit nose. The palate is succulent, light, fine with filigree tannin grip, graceful and effortlessly seamless with a limpidity that is thrilling.

The auction catalogue notes state: “Multiple hand pickings from a single vineyard in the Langkloof of the Paardeberg mountain. 50% whole bunch fermentation , gently extracted daily and macerated on the skins for a month in total. Pressed to old French oak barrels for 11 months before being bottled, unfined.”

Just 66 cases of this wine were produced – so less than 400 bottles! Only 38 cases will go under the auctioneer’s gavel... It’s Lot 475 at the Friday session of the Cape Winemakers Guild auction on Friday 30 September at the Lord Charles hotel in Somerset West.

The auction is open to any and all bidders but they need to register to do so. Anyone wishing to do so is urged to go online from Monday, 12 September at www.straussart.co.za.

Aristargos apparently means ‘to lead by serving people’, and this Swartland duo are serving up supremely nuanced, beautiful wines which speak of place and heritage – and they do so in a gently confident way which is adding yet more lustre to the region’s vinous reputation.

- Blog by Fiona McDonald