Jasper Wickens started working with Adi Badenhorst at the Kalmoesfontein property in the Paardeberg in 2009 and was a central character in the whole Swartland Revolution movement. Exactly 10 years after he first moved to the Paardeberg, Jasper completed his final harvest at AA Badenhorst Family Wines in 2018 as he prepared to move full-time into the repurposed wine cellar at his Waterval farm next door to focus on his own Swerwer range that was established back in 2012.
Jasper’s Swerwer range is now quite extensive and includes, among others, a Chenin Blanc, an old vine skin contact Tiernes Chenin Blanc, a Semillon Gris, as well as reds made from Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Tinta Barocca, and Touriga Nacional. Jasper is undoubtedly making some of the most exciting wines in the Swartland and his 2021 expressions from this cooler vintage are some of his best yet.
An alluring medium straw golden yellow colour, the aromatics speak of the Swartland’s unique granitic terroir, loaded with crushed rocks, dusty grey slate, dried straw, baking herbs, lemon peel and grated pear. Mineral, earthy and stony, the wine bursts to life on the palate with its vibrant, bright tangy acids promoting notes of white peach, yellow orchard fruits, tart plum and hints of crisp quince. The wine possesses an impressive textural density, a glycerol yellow stone fruit concentration and a liquid minerality all tightly interwoven so as to present an incredibly harmonious white with a delicious equilibrium. Jasper has really nailed the beautiful 2021 vintage with some supremely fine white wines. Drink on release and over the next 10+ years.
(95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
JC Wickens Swerwer Red Blend 2021, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.
A delicious red blend made up of Cinsault, Grenache and Tinta Barocca, this is a cool crystalline red wine that marries these traditional Swartland cultivars sourced from mostly gnarled old vines grown on deep decomposed granitic soils. With the grace and freshness of the Cinsault and Grenache, this blend is delightfully bright, elegant, and vibrant with a distinct cool sense of purity and precision. Initially savoury and sightly meaty on the nose when opened, the aromatics soon blossom to reveal perfumed notes of pressed violets, lavender, bramble berries and wild strawberry with an inviting underlying earthy fynbos and sweet garrigue spice. But this cool, elegant 2021 vintage is ultimately all about freshness, vitality and mid-palate tension, with the Tinta Barocca adding extra depth and tannic structure without compromising the wine’s overall balance and finesse. This is certainly a mouth-watering creation that offers enticing drinkability and red meat friendly food accompaniment. Drink on release and over the next 5 to 8+ years.
(94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Jasper with his 2023 Syrah grapes.
JC Wickens Swerwer Touriga Nacional 2021, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.
This delicious 2021 Touriga Nacional from Jasper Wickens is made from vines planted in deep granitic soils on cooler mountain slopes in the Swartland, with grapes harvested earlier to retain a freshness and elegance easy lost in this warm region. Naturally whole bunch fermented and treated to very gentle extraction, this cooler vintage red show’s this Portuguese cultivar’s true heritage with lifted aromatics of floral red flowers, lilac, earthy bramble berries, black berries and black plum with undertones of smoked meats, bresaola, fireplace wood embers and a subtle sappy wood spice. The palate is equally impressive with plenty of overt juicy black and earthy red berry fruits that really shine under the coolness of the wines modest 13% alcohol. Elegant and complex, the wine retains a wonderfully soft texture and mid-palate balance with fine sweet silky tannins and notes of orange peel, grilled herbs and sweet savoury black berries. The finish sees an understated but concentrated length with a gracefully dense persistence, making this a really very attractive and appealing Touriga Nacional expression. Drink on release and over the next 3 to 5+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Jasper Wickens’ Swerwer Wines are imported exclusively into the UK by Museum Wines.
Jasper Wickens and his viticulturist wife, Franziska Wickens, live and make wine on her family farm, Waterval (Waterfall), in the very heart of the Swartland. Neighbouring some of South Africa’s most sought-after Swartland producers in the Siebritskloof Valley on the northern side of the Paardeberg, they are in the proverbial thick of it with people like Adi Badenhorst, Jasper’s previous employer on Kalmoesfontein, Eben Sadie on Rotsvas, and David & Nadia Sadie.
The Paardeberg, with its 500-million-year-old magma and the resulting domes of granite and microclimates, makes for an intriguing winegrowing terroir. The different soil types, specifically decomposed granite, offer a freshness unique to the Valley to both whites and reds – something the whole wine-drinking world has started cottoning on to. With an unusually cool and slow ripening vintage like 2021, Jasper Wickens has produced some of his most profound wines yet.
Jasper’s Waterval farm wine cellar in the Paardeberg. Tasting new vintages with Jasper in March 2023.
At a recent tasting, I caught up with famous wine critic Dr Jamie Goode from the Wineanorak.com and shared a bottle of the latest release Swerwer 2021 Shiraz from Jasper. We were all suitably impressed.
JC Wickens Swerwer Shiraz 2021, WO Swartland, 13.5% Abv.
The Swartland is a warm, dry grape growing environment which makes this beautiful new release Shiraz 2021 from Jasper Wickens all the more remarkable. A bright vibrant ruby red colour, the expressive aromatics simply burst out of the glass, teasing the senses with incredibly intense, pure floral aromatics of violets, cherry blossom and rose petals that melt into pristine notes of sweet red cherries, tart red plums together with hints of cranberry and wild strawberry. The subtle notions of white pepper and salty red liquorice follow to the exquisitely elegant tight-knit palate that displays wonderful freshness and energy, drawing on the cooler vintage conditions of 2021 to offer up such impressive purity and precision matched by a deft pinpoint structure. The finish is delightfully cool, mineral and restrained delivering a deliciously focused raspberry and cherry fruited saline persistence that will definitely lure you back again and again for another sip. A truly noteworthy expression of Swerwer Shiraz. Drink on release and over the next 6 to 8+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The JC Wickens Swerwer wines are imported and distributed in the UK by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines.
The first Assyrtiko white I tasted from South Africa was Eben Sadie’s Sadie Family Assyrtiko 2015 produced from bunches picked from his two-year-old vines planted around his winery, coming in at 12% alcohol with a bone dry 1.4 g/l RS, a vibrant 5.9 g/l TA and a lowish pH of 3.28. The wine was astonishing and had all the salinity, mouth watering tartness and savoury fleshiness you would hope for on a delicious example. Almost all the wine made from this small crop was consumed at Cape Wine 2015 during the “alternative varieties” seminar presented by Eben Sadie and Rosa Kruger. A superb tasting that was standing room only… and also featured Sadie Family experimental wines from Verdelho, Mencia and Agiorgitiko, Newton Johnson’s maiden 2014 Albarino and Bosman’s maiden Nero d’Avola 2014.
While Eben may have pulled up all these early vines and replanted them with better vine material, he continues to make an Assyrtiko from grapes from a secret vineyard on limestone soils up the west coast near St Helena Bay. The exact location is apparently a closely guarded secret. I saw a concrete egg of the 2022 vintage in October last year at the farm but was unable to taste it as it had just been topped up by winemaker Paul Jordaan. Apparently it is destined to be blended away in the Palladius. But it was the Mullineuxs, Eben’s Swartland neighbours, who succeeded in bottling the first commercial Assyrtiko along with Stellenbosch producer Gary Jordan. The Mullineux Assyrtiko was planted at their Roundstone farm along with Macabeo, Verdelho, Vermentino and a few others cultivars while Gary had already put in two large blocks of Assyrtiko and is planning a third.
Jordan’s first Assyrtiko block pictured in youth in February 2020.
With Assyrtiko famous for making vibrantly fresh white wine styles even at elevated alcohol levels, and being very drought and heat resistant, it looks set to become one of South Africa’s most popular “cult” varieties in the years ahead. For now, the Jordan Winery and the Mullineuxs are producing two exemplary examples and I recently popped the corks and tasted these two new release 2022 Assyrtikos head-to-head.
Jordan Assyrtiko 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.
An expressive, dusty, mineral expression that shows an almost granitic Chenin-like fruit core with plenty of maritime salinity, white flower perfume, rock salt, freshly cut fennel and crunchy white pear. But from young vines, this is a very impressively constructed wine with a cool fleshy core, tangy acids and a peachy, green apple rock candy and piquant bite on the finish. A truly wonderful expression that may still lack some of the true volcanic “island feel” of the greatest Santorini white Assyrtiko wines, but it is nevertheless an incredible interpretation of this variety considering the age of the vines. Keep a very close watch on future releases of this wine that is sure to become a South African cult collectable.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Mullineux Family Wines Assyrtiko 2022, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.
This beautiful Swartland expression shows a dense, mineral smoky aromatics with complex notes of crushed granite, dried kelp, clementine peel and sea breeze. The palate shows intricate textural layers, ample structure and deliciously complex stone fruit nuances with a definite liquid minerality undertone. A really impressive creation that blossoms in the glass showing tangerine and pithy lemon pastille. Like all the wines in the Mullineux range, this is yet another classy, polished varietal expression. Drink now and over the next 4 to 6 years.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Mullineux Wines are imported into the UK by Liberty Wines and Jordan Wines are represented exclusively by Awin Barret Siegel Wine Agencies (ABS).
One of the many hangovers of the Covid-19 pandemic was the inability to travel resulting in endless zoom tastings that eventually overtook most wine reviewers’ lives. Thankfully, fully immersive wineland travels are back for real but sometimes, tasting on zoom can be very handy especially if you’re tasting some new releases from Chris and Andrea Mullineux while Chris is in South Africa, Andrea is working the trade in San Francisco, and I’m sitting in a sunny London!
Always thrilled to catch up with this wine industry power couple, whether over Mullineux wines or new Leeu Passant releases, but even more so when there are new and exciting maiden releases in the mix! Yes, after how many years working out of a winery in the Franschhoek Valley, the Mullineux’s have finally bottled a Wine of Origin Franschhoek Semillon, and what a cracker it is too! In fact, the entire range of new releases is spectacular, as usual, and definitely worth tracking down and finding a space for them in your cellar.
Included in the line-up is the maiden 2021 Franschhoek Semillon, a steely 2021 Stellenbosch Chardonnay, and the fourth (I think) release of their Radicales Libres Chardonnay from Barrydale. On the reds, the Franschhoek ‘Lotter’ Old Vine Cinsault is sadly no longer, so the Wellington ‘Basson’ Old Vine Cinsault once again takes centre stage alongside an incredible Helderberg Cabernet Sauvignon and a classy, regal, Leeu Passant Dry Red flagship blend.
Leeu Passant Franschhoek Semillon 2021, WO Franschhoek, 12.5% Abv.
2.1g/l RS | 6.0g/l TA | 3.22pH
This impressive maiden release 2021 Franschhoek Semillon seems a perfectly natural progression for the Mullineuxs. Afterall, they have created one of the most impressive wineries in the Franschhoek Valley and Andrea Mullineux is also a great Semillon Gris afficionado. This wonderful Semillon was tasted over three days and while it was suitably impressive on day one, like all Mullineux whites, it gained weight and complexity over the subsequent two days. Initially taut and steely with a hint of stony reduction, the aromatics are already wonderfully complex, showing notes of pithy white citrus, green pear, freshly cut Granny Smith apples, white peach and caper brine over delicate layers of lemongrass, crushed granite, hay and lanolin. The vibrancy and electric acidity are one of Chris and Andrea’s favourite features about this wine, searing the palate with its liquid laser beam intensity and precision. With time in the glass, the stony white and yellow crystalline fruits gain weight and a little extra palate breadth, while all the while remaining supremely elegant, softly spoken and mouth-wateringly appealing. A very impressive wine from a classical top quality white vintage. Drink now and over the next 10 to 15+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Leeu Passant Stellenbosch Chardonnay 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.
1.8g/l RS | 7.2g/l TA | 3.17pH
This Leeu Passant white has always featured as one of the top Chardonnays in South Africa and so not surprisingly, this new expression from the epic 2021 vintage is another superstar. The 2021 shows a cool, steely inner beauty that resonates with bright crystalline aromatics of ripe white citrus, sour yellow grapefruit, warm freshly baked buttered pastries, toasted nuts and a beguiling, evocative minty yellow orchard fruit nuance. The wine slowly unfurls in the glass benefiting immeasurably from being opened, gradually revealing a wonderful complexity and mid-palate depth of green apple cordial, orange citrus oil, stone fruits, tangerine, oatmeal and subtle vanilla pod spice. The racy acids are linear, intense and penetrating, displaying real cut and focus, balancing the pure tangy citrus fruits before tapering off gradually to a clean, tense, mineral finish. A truly pitch perfect expression of cooler coastal Chardonnay that surely deserves a place in your cellar! Drink now in its youth after a short decant or over the next 10 to 15+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Leeu Passant Radicales Libres Chardonnay 2017, WO Klein Karoo, 14% Abv.
1.3g/l RS | 6.7g/l TA | 3.38pH
“Birth and resurrection in a bottle” according to Andrea Mullineux. This wine is an experimental Chardonnay from Joubert Tradouw vineyards in Barrydale, Klein Karoo, originally created in the early days of Leeu Passant when the Mullineux’s were experimenting with various new Chardonnay vineyards around the Western Cape including in the Elandskloof. The 2014 vintage saw the bottling of a Cape Winemakers Guild Radicales Libres Chardonnay to great acclaim, that replaced the one and only Chenin Blanc based Radicales Libres bottling from 2012. Now a regular feature in the range, this 2017 is simply one of the most unique, intense and characterful fine wines produced in the whole of the Cape. Picked at normal ripeness but aged for five years in barrel with a topping up once a year, allows the wine to concentrate naturally to eventually reveal an incredible energy and vibrancy together with intricate but supremely complex aromatics of candied lime peel, roasted hazelnuts, lemon oil, brine, sun dried Granny Smith apples, melted honey, dried herbs and lemon meringue pie. Almost 60 months in barrel has concentrated the complex flavours on the full-bodied palate, leaving an elevated tangy acidity to boldly preserve the wines freshness, elegance and mouth-watering textural harmony. With only 1,780 bottles produced, you may sadly find it very challenging to track down a bottle to indulge yourself. But if you do, pop the cork and bathe in the golden glory of this incredible wine. Drink now and over the next 20+ years. (Due to the slightly oxidative nature of the wine, I tasted it multiple times over a period of 5 days.)
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Leeu Passant Wellington Old Vines Basson Cinsault 2021, WO Wellington, 14% Abv.
2.0g/l RS | 4.9g/l TA | 3.83pH
Always an exceptionally fragrant and expressive wine, this regal centenarian old vine Cinsault bursts forth with deep, bold, rich, complex whole-cluster aromatics of sweet red currant compote, sun raisined cranberry, earthy pomegranate, bramble berry fruits and sweet red plums over potpourri, Turkish delight and delicate rose water notes. On the palate, this 2021 shows a seductive red fruited opulence that is at once plush and accessible but also quite distinctly savoury, laced with a stony, liquid minerality, polished marble tannins and plenty of horsepower under the bonnet. This is about as serious as Cinsault gets with fabulous structure, an intense red cherry fruited concentration and notable muscular palate power. Like all the Basson Cinsaults of recent years, this classical masterpiece will benefit from a good few years in the cellar but is also ready to show its opulence now if you simply cannot wait. Drink from release and over 15 to 20+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Leeu Passant Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.
2.0g/l RS | 5.4g/l TA | 3.6pH
It’s quite curious but one does not automatically think of the Mullineuxs when you mention Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon. But they have, over the past 5 years, slowly and fastidiously crafted one of the most respected expressions of Helderberg Cabernet Sauvignon produced in the Cape. This 2021 is another cool climate beauty that shows a delightfully perfumed aromatic spectrum of fresh violets, dried herbs, pressed rose petals and subtle hints of dried kelp, saline black currant, sweet cherry tobacco, cedar spice and delicate touches of iodine. This is a deliciously sumptuous wine with seamlessly contoured textural lines that would make a 1960’s E-Type Jaguar jealous. The dark cassis laden fruits are plush and creamy with an underlying acid vivacity and salinity that really enliven the wine. Again, I drank this beautiful red wine over three nights and enjoyed it more and more as each day followed. That is not to say it wasn’t utterly delicious on day one, but if you know Andrea’s winemaking precision, she hides all sorts of secrets in her wines that are only really revealed after a couple of days open. This of course bodes particularly well for those patient enough to cellar these vinous gems for more than a few years. This 2021 displays a freshness and brilliance not often seen on Cabernet Sauvignon and is by far one of the most attractive vintages produced to date. Drink on release and over the next 20+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Leeu Passant Flagship Red 2020, WO Coastal Region, 13.5%
1.9g/l RS | 5.5g/l TA | 3.52pH
The 2020 edition of the flagship Leeu Passant dry red blend, as inspired by some of the classical heritage red blends of the 1950’s and 1960’s, is made up of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Cabernet Franc, both sourced in the Helderberg, blended together with 10% of Cinsault from the 120+ year old vine Basson Wellington vineyard that is farmed and managed by the Mullineuxs. The 2020 is not a particularly powerful vintage but more a year of perfume and floral intricacy. The aromatics are nevertheless broad and complex revealing notes of sweet cedar spice, fragrant dried violets, potpourri, saline black currant and a dusty, chalky, granitic minerality. On the palate there is a definite feeling of fruit concentration and salinity, power and assured confidence supported by compact sweet glycerol tannins and a bright tangy acidity. The palate is broad and dense, and its flavour sensations wash over the tongue in tidal waves of black currant, bramble berries and black cherries with a black tea tannin spice. This is a serious effort but also a vintage showing a lot more accessibility earlier on without compromising its age ability. If you are clever enough to put some of this in your cellar, you can expect to see it evolve beneficially for at least 15 to 20+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The wines are distributed to trade in the UK by Liberty Wines and to the trade in the US by Skurnik Wines.
‘Axle’ is an anagram of Alex and was made at the request of Alex Milner’s wife, who disparaged their ‘light-reds-only’ policy and demanded a white wine option of similar quality and style… and thus the Axle Chenin Blanc was born.
The Axle Chenin Blanc is made by Alex Milner of Natte Valleij winery from grapes sourced from a dryland grown old bush vine certified Darling heritage block planted in 1985 on decomposed granite soils. Made in a very minimalist, low intervention manner without losing any of its fine wine integrity, this wine represents a classy textural style of serious (and seriously delicious) Chenin Blanc.
Old Vine Certified Heritage vineyard from 1985.
The grapes were basket pressed and allowed to settle for 24 hours, then racked into old 225 litre oak barrels with careful addition of fine lees sediment to each barrel. After a natural fermentation, the wine received regular bâtonnage until late May. Aged in barrel over winter, the wine was bottled in the Spring after 9 months.
Tasting the Axle Chenin Blanc in the UK with Alex Milner in May 2023.
Natte Valleij Axle Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2022, WO Darling, 13% Abv.
In the glass, this wine shimmers with a translucent golden yellow straw intensity, revealing rich exotic aromatics of incense, potpourri, grapefruit marmalade, yellow peach, dried apricots and attractive hints of stem ginger. The addition of the fine lees really adds another dimension of texture and complexity to the wine, lending an almost Sauternes-like breadth and opulence to the nose. The palate is equally plush, glycerol and broad but with a majestic coolness and creamy harmony that allows delicate notes of tangy apricot, peach and dried guava to linger on the long, intense dry granitic finish. This is another magnificent creation from this regal old vine Darling Chenin Blanc vineyard and undoubtedly a wine that is going to woo its already sizeable cult following. Drink on release and over the next 5 to 8+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Natte Valleij wines are imported into the UK exclusively by Museum Wines. The Axel Chenin Blanc is available retail from Vincognito.co.uk at circa £20.95 per bottle.
“These old bush vines must come from the most isolated and lonely vineyard we bring into our cellar” winemaker Alex Milner quips. Planted on a lonely hill surrounded by wheat fields, and too many gates to remember, this vineyard stands very alone. Planted in 1978 on Malmesbury formation soils, with some influence of decomposed granite, it faces South Southwest and experiences the important cooling summer wind of the afternoon South Wester blowing in off the Atlantic, only 16km away. It is this uniqueness that allows Natte Valleij to offer something of exceptional quality and interest. This Cinsault was matured for 11 months in a 2500 litre old oak foudre to maintain the poise and reflection of this old vineyard’s terroir.
I recently caught up with Alex Milner in March at his cellar during harvest and then again in early May in London to taste through all his new releases. But two of his wines specifically left a very big impression on me, namely his single vineyard old vine Cinsault reds from Stellenbosch and Darling, that are made in circa 2,000 bottle quantities.
Pressing the 2023 Darling Old Vine Cinsault in March.
Natte Valleij Darling Old Vine Cinsault 2021, WO, 12% Abv.
This Darling Old Vine 2021 Cinsault is really something to behold. If ever there was a wine that proved that Cinsault could be world-class, then this is it. In the glass, the wine shows an opaque red plum colour and has a hedonistically high-toned perfumed aromatics of freshly picked rose petals and sweet lilacs before a complex melange of crunchy red orchard fruits seduces the senses. Wonderfully fresh and vibrant, the soft fleshy palate reveals potent notes red cherry, raspberry and strawberry pastille fruits before the classic Darling hallmark Turkish delight nuances come to the fore. Delicately mineral with a succulent intensity and tangy sweet and sour acidity, this 2021 Darling Cinsault is definitely ‘hall of fame’ quality with focus, depth and precision. Drink on release to enjoy its rose petal floral freshness or cellar for 6 to 8+ years to allow the old vine fruit to show its true regal potential. They don’t come much better than this!
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Natte Valleij wines are imported exclusively into the UK by Museum Wines and the single vineyard Cinsault reds retail for circa £27pb.
Sadie Family Wines are located in the Swartland region of South Africa and is without doubt one of South Africa’s most sought-after producers. But it wasn’t always like this. Before Eben Sadie settled down to carve out his career as a winemaker, he travelled and worked extensively in several major wine regions of the world, including Germany, Austria, Italy, Oregon and Burgundy. After returning to South Africa, he found employment alongside South African icon Charles Back, at The Spice Route in 1998. Sadie Family Wines, as we know it today, was founded in 1999, with the first two vintages produced at Charles Back’s Spice Route facilities.
While everything Eben puts his hand to nowadays becomes instantly collectable, his personal winemaking focus remains his signature wines, namely his white blend Palladius and his red Syrah based blend, Columella. But the fine wine world often has other designs, relentlessly craving his small production single vineyard wines made from some of South Africa’s oldest vineyards in the Cape. One of these, the Soldaat Old Vine Series, is made from ungrafted and unirrigated old bush vines that are planted at 708m altitude on decomposed granite soils on a 6-hectare site that Grenache shows such a great affinity for, and it really shows on this incredible wine. After manual harvesting, fermentation occurs spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. Maceration and fermentation is carried out in concrete tanks for 30 days and aging lasts on average 12 months in old oak barrels.
Sadie Family Wines Old Vine Series Soldaat Grenache 2012
Pronounced earthy, sappy, green leaf style with notes of dried herbs, fynbos, sandalwood and leafy red currant tangy berry fruits. The acids are electric, cool and glassy. Just a measured amount of tertiary complexity developing. 92/100? (95/100 Jan 2023 Tasting)
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Note: In the original vertical tasting, this wine seemed more evolved and savoury, but on tasting again in January 2023 from a different batch, the wine positively radiated energy and freshness, implying that the 2012 bottle initially assessed was perhaps not in top condition. Even my note on this wine in 2016 said… “you best bury a few bottles away if you have any left! (Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW) – This could potentially be a 95, 96, 97 point classic one day when it nears maturity. Yes, it’s that good!”
Sadie Family Wines Old Vine Series Soldaat Grenache 2016
Lovely warming nose of strawberry jam on warm scones, crushed gravel and sweet fynbos herbal notes before bramble berry fruits with a distinct savoury, meaty finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Sadie Family Wines Old Vine Series Soldaat Grenache 2017
Definite note of reduction evident with hints of wet slate, crushed chalk, black currant, oyster shell and bramble berry spice. The palate is taut and compact, sappy and intense with a creamy textural balance and a herby, brambly, savoury finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Sadie Family Wines Old Vine Series Soldaat Grenache 2018
Lovely bright red fruited nose with red currant, crushed strawberry and bramble berry spice. Palate is glycerol, dense and super serious with stony tannins, graphite spice and a savoury red berry finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Sadie Family Wines Old Vine Series Soldaat Grenache 2019
Offers a beautiful melange of fynbos, crushed granite, dried herbs and red currant spice. Plush, opulent and seductive, this is a very impressive wine with superb power, precision and balance.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Sadie Family Wines Old Vine Series Soldaat Grenache 2020
Dense, bright, pure red fruited nose with delicious creamy depth, layers of red currant, strawberry and seductive red cherry fruit together with a complexing sapidity, tobacco leaf and a stony minerality. Beautiful harmony, seamless balance, and a long, pristine finish. Wow!
(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Wines are available on strict allocation to the trade in the USA from Broadbent Selections and in the UK from FMV. Retail is circa £50 per bottle on release.
In September, Chris “Butch” Alheit returned to the United Kingdom to present his new 2021 vintages at his importer’s portfolio tasting. With over 120+ wines from South Africa being poured, most with their producers in attendance, I decided to write up a series of “snap-shot” tastings for drinkers and collectors to use as a quick and easily accessible reference for a whole series of new releases. I fortuitously had another opportunity only a few weeks later to retaste the entire Alheit range again with Chris in Cape Town at the Cape Wine 2022 wine show in October. So my below scores are an aggregate of the two tastings.
Chris explained that in general, his vineyards ripened around 10 days later in 2021 than the previous year, with low yields but very high quality across the board. In 2021, no Huilkrans Chenin Blanc was made as the crop from this Skurfberg “lieu dit” vineyard was simply too small. Then there was the Magnetic North catastrophy which saw the entire tank of Chenin Blanc from this famous vineyard ruined by a faulty tank gasket seal that imparted an unpleasant bitterness to the wine. As if Alheit demand and supply is not strained enough in a regular vintage, 2021 with its exceptional white wine quality will create even more severe headaches for collectors and drinkers looking for allocations of these incredible wines. But I recommend you persevere as the wines are once again truly outstanding.
Alheit Vineyards Hereafter Here 2021, WO Western Cape, 13% Abv.
Made from young vine Chenin Blanc vineyards from Upper Blaauwklippen, Polkadraai and the Swartland, the idea is that some of these grapes will eventually be channelled into Cartology in years to come as the vines age. Deliciously cool, silky and taut with green fruits, white flowers, white citrus, green apple and crunchy peach nuances. Acids are mouth-wateringly tangy and the fruits crystalline and pure with impressive clarity and balance. A clear step up in quality and intensity on the maiden 2020 release.
Alheit Vineyards Cartology 2021, WO Western Cape, 13% Abv.
A blend of 90% Chenin Blanc and 10% Semillon from circa nine dryland bush vine parcels around the Cape with a minimum age of 35 years but with most between 40 to 80 years old. The entry shows a massive vibrant concentration of white citrus, peach and tangerine with complexing notes of wet thatch, fynbos and struck flint reduction. The palate is rich and textured, plush and fleshy, showing the true class and pedigree of the 2021 vintage. This must be among the finest Cartology releases produced to date. Do not miss it!
Alheit Vineyards Fire By Night Chenin Blanc 2021, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.
Previously known as Broom Ridge, this wine has reverted back to its original name and label due to popular demand. From vineyards on the property Chris bought in the Swartland, the vines were planted between 1971 and 1985 on decomposed granitic soils. The aromatics are predictably stony, dusty and pithy with white peach, crunchy pear, green tea, fynbos and tangerine undertones. The palate shows its usual tell-tale reductive flinty hints together with an incredible liquid minerality that is supported by crystalline pure fruits and pinpoint fresh acids. Once again, a very impressive showing from this Paardeberg vineyard.
Alheit Vineyards Nautical Dawn Chenin Blanc 2021, WO Helderberg, Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.
Grapes for this single vineyard wine come from a beautiful higher altitude site in the Helderberg planted in 1978 that overlooks False Bay. The soils are weathered decomposed granite that look like caster sugar in texture. True to this vineyard’s terroir, there is an incredibly pronounced rock salt salinity on the wine with an overt maritime sea breeze complexity that combines with notes of peach, pear, lime peel, tangerine and a savoury liquid minerality on the finish. Intense, complex and certainly quite profound. Wow!
The grapes from this famous La Colline vineyard were planted in 1936 and offer up complex notes of melted bee’s wax, incense, sweet baking herbs, black currant, lemon rind and tangerine. There is a generous, concentrated fleshy savoury fruit core all held in perfect equilibrium by fresh taut acids. Still showing a complexing hint of smoky reduction, this is undoubtedly a profound Semillon offering from one of the most famous vineyards in the country. Pop this in your cellar for 3 to 5 years and then drink over 8 to 10+ years.
Alheit Vineyards Hemelrand Vine Garden 2021, WO Hemel-en-Aarde, 13.5% Abv.
A blend of 36% Chardonnay, 27% Roussanne, 18% Chenin Blanc, 16% Verdelho and 3% Muscat. This field blend offers up rich earthy, peachy fruit notes with yellow orchard fruits, white flowers, citrus oil and lychee with subtle baking spice nuances. The palate is fresh and full fruited with a fruit salad melange enlivened by juicy, tangy acids and a delicately savoury, mineral finish. Plenty of intensity on display here but also a fine purity and a harmonious balance. One of the best Hemelrand Vine Garden releases to date.
Alheit Vineyards Lost and Found Hanepoot Straw Wine 2019, WO Breedekloof, 7% Abv.
Looking at this rich, unctuous wine in the glass is akin to gazing through an ancient piece of Jurassic fossilized amber – ripe, captivating and most definitely warmly inviting. But this is no normal sweet wine and one sniff of the rich, ripe, potent aromatics reveals an enchanting bouquet of freshly boiled marmalade jam, green mango preserve, barley sugar, sweet herbs, wet straw and dried apricots. Give the dense, glycerol wine another slow swirl in a big Zalto Bordeaux bowl and it shifts gears again to offer yet more pithy orange peel nuances and seductive notes of quince jelly, pressed grapes and burnt caramel. Like some of South Africa’s other truly great sweet wines, the aromatics are so complex and seductive that you almost forget to sip the wine! Incredibly viscous and fleshy on the palate with a round glycerol opulence, there is no suggestion at any point that this wine is going to be overly sweet and clawing with its 450 g/l RS. In fact the sweetness is kept smartly in check by a searing acidity that scythes through the caramel and barley sugar laden fruit layers with samurai sword precision. The finish is gloriously mouth coating, hedonistic and persistent with just the most subtle sappy, pithy, bitter orange peel vermouth twang.
Jasper Wickens started working with Adi Badenhorst at the Kalmoesfontein property in the Paardeberg in 2009 and was a central character in the whole Swartland Revolution movement. As the dynamic Swartland movement gathered pace, Jasper met his now wife, Franziska Wickens (néé Schreiber), who is the third generation of a Swartland farming family in the Siebritskloof Valley in the Paardeberg and studied viticulture at Elsenberg with a focus on cellar management. Their relationship grew at a similar pace to the popularity of the Swartland’s red and white wines and were finally married in 2016 on Franziska’s Waterval farm.
Exactly 10 years after he first moved to the Paardeberg, Jasper completed his final harvest at AA Badenhorst Family Wines in 2018 as he prepared to move full time into the repurposed wine cellar at his Waterval farm next door to focus on his own Swerwer range that was established back in 2012 with the sole purpose of creating authentic “wines of place” that represented the true essence of their local terroirs. Franziska owns and manages extensive family vineyard plantings and now supplies some of the most sought after Swartland grapes to producers such as JH Meyer, AA Badenhorst, Blacksmith Wines, Paul Jordaan’s Bosberaad, John Seccombe, Samantha Suddons’ Vinevenom label and Martin Lamprecht’s Marras label.
Jasper’s Swerwer range is now quite extensive and includes, among others, a Chenin Blanc, an old vine skin contact Tiernes Chenin Blanc, a Semillon Gris, as well as reds made from Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Tinta Barocca and Touriga Nacional. Jasper is undoubtedly making some of the most exciting wines in the Swartland that will surely become a lot harder to buy as his reputation for quality continues to grow year by year. So if you haven’t tasted the wines from his Swerwer range yet, the Chenin Blanc and his Red Blend made from Cinsault, Grenache, and Tinta Barocca are the perfect place to start your discovery. Jasper is definitely a Swartland producer to follow closely.
JC Wickens Swerwer Chenin Blanc 2020, WO Swartland, 13.5% Abv.
This is another beautifully expressive Chenin Blanc from warm granitic mountain slopes in the Swartland region. Jasper and Franziska Wickens own and farm some truly profound vineyards in the Paardeberg area and this Chenin Blanc is a classically styled steely white shaped by its decomposed granitic terroir. The aromatics are cool and supremely mineral with layers of crushed gravel, dried green herbs, oatmeal biscuits, lemon rind, yellow orchard fruits and sweet wet hay nuances. The palate reveals lovely textural tension and fruit / acid intensity without losing any elegance and precision, showing plenty of pineapple pastille, bruised yellow orchard fruits, wet river pebble minerality and a pithy, leesy finish. This is a wine that speaks volumes of its origin, expresses its unique terroir and seduces the drinker in doing so. There are many far more expensive Swartland Chenin Blancs on the market but few which reach this level of complexity and palate-appeal for a similar price. Drink now and over the next 5 to 8 years.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Cinsault and Grenache were sourced from vineyards growing on well drained, granite soils. Cinsault was often known as the workhorse variety and of the rare Grenache only very few old vineyards remain. Tinta Barocca has proved itself in the Swartland already for decades and completes this traditional blend. Here it is sourced from a warmer clay–rich vineyard.
JC Wickens Swerwer Red Blend 2020, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.
An eclectic blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Tinta Barocca make for a truly delicious Swartland red blend. The deep, dark aromatic base notes of the Grenache and Tinta Barocca are raised out the glass by the delicate rose petal perfumed lift of the Cinsault before more complex notes of cured meats, bramble berries, red cherries, cola, and Turkish delight come to the fore. The palate is both compact, concentrated, and sleek but also wonderfully light on its feet, enlivened by a mouth-watering red berry acidity, hints of cranberry, wild strawberry and smoky, meaty charcuterie savoury nuances. This certainly is a very impressive versatile red that can be sipped on its own or paired with almost any food dishes. Jasper Wickens is truly a master craftsman and this fabulous red is a tribute to his winemaking skills. Drink now and over the next 3 to 5+ years.
Earlier this year, Eben Sadie made his first trip to London in several years and with so any new projects and developments taking place in the world of Sadie Family Wines, a visit to explain all the exciting new developments was considered long overdue. With Eben producing the most sought-after selection of red and white wines in South Africa, every change he makes in the winery or in the vineyards is closely watched and examined.
Starting in the early 2000s, Eben started to strive to improve the freshness on all his whites and reds with the effects of climate change becoming more and more apparent vintage after vintage. Over the past years, Eben has planted a range of esoteric white and red grapes, many with their origin around the Mediterranean – Agiorgitiko, Mencia, Cinsault Blanc, Grillo, Assyrtiko, Picpoul de Pinet, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouchet, Cunoise, Mavrotragano, etc. all on specially chosen sites with suitable soil types that allow the grapes to express freshness, brightness and elegance.
Following a policy of only making large scale changes once every 10 years, Eben firmly believes that what needs to be learnt takes time even if the actions you took and the changes you made end up ultimately being unsuccessful. The wines tasted in this masterclass reflect the learning and changes that have occurred at Sadie Family Wines over the past 20 years. To complement this fascinating masterclass, I followed it up with a visit to the winery in October to see some of the new developments first hand.
Eben Sadie surveying the new wine cellar building works.
Walking through the newly acquired old vine Rotsbank Chenin Blanc vineyard.
Top of the “to do list” was visiting the Rotsbank Old Vine Chenin Blanc vineyard that Sadie Family Wines recently acquired. This vineyard previously supplied some Chenin Blanc for blending into the Palladius, but following the purchase, Eben will release his first new Old Vine Series wine in 13 years and also his first single varietal Swartland Old Vine Chenin Blanc with the 2022 vintage. Also on display, were the extensive building works which mark the building of a new winemaking facility and archive cellar on the farm. So plenty to look forward to!
Columella Vertical: 2004 to 2018
Sadie Family Wines Columella 2004, WO Swartland
A beautifully cool, precise year that is an exceptional vintage for the wine but with Eben giving most of the credit to vintage conditions – “they merely didn’t mess it up in the winery, preserving the greatness of the vintage”. Wonderfully pure and perfumed with potpourri, garrigue, bramble berry spice and cured meats. The tannins are polished and silky, precise and pin point with fabulous mineral layering supported by bright tangy, crunchy acids with just the most subtle, reductive, saline cassis nuance on the finish. A supremely classy, classical expression.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Sadie Family Wines Columella 2007, WO Swartland
A warm, dry vintage that led to many vines shutting down and thus offering long hang times on paper but with out the corresponding ripening. So a difficult vintage known for its pyrazines, especially on the whites. The nose shows rich, plumy, earthy characters with cured meats, black olive, plum compote and hints of tannery leather. The tannins are sweet and plush, creamy and opulent with a fine line of acidity wrapped in voluptuous layers of sweet red and black berry fruits. An impressive offering for the vintage and drinking beautifully at the moment.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Sadie Family Wines Columella 2010, WO Swartland
Semi-warm vintage, less warm and dry than 2007. The aromatics are earthy and savoury with plenty of tannery leather, tilled earthy, stewed plums and spicy grilled herb notes. The palate shows a stony minerality together with a more restrained fruit depth, spicy graphite, bramble berry and pithy black currant. Tannins are soft and quite polished, finishing with a subtlety and elegance. A fascinating, mineral driven expression.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Pre-Masterclass interview with Jancis Robinson OBE MW.
Sadie Family Wines Columella 2018, WO Swartland
The end of the drought vintages, this shows an incredibly old world, Rhone style aromatics with savoury black fruits, garrigue, grilled herbs, black currant, black cherry, raspberry compote, and a meaty, chargrilled component. The palate shows a delicious crunchy, raspberry fruited vibrancy with hints of red bramble berries, wild strawberry and red cherries combined with a beautifully precise fresh acidity, impressive fine grained tannins and a wonderfully elegant, harmonious, poised finish. Very classy indeed.
(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Palladius Vertical: 2007 to 2019
Sadie Family Wines Palladius 2007, WO Swartland
Dry and hot vintage, the aromatics show a defined, honied yellow fruited oxidative complexity with layers of grapefruit jam, melted honey on buttered white toast. Massive glycerol texture with oxy fig and caramelised peach nuances, tangy acids and a deliciously exotic, saline, tropical finish. Offers a lot of wine and leaves it out there for all to see, leaving little to the imagination.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Sadie Family Wines Palladius 2010, WO Swartland
Warm vintage again, the 2010 shows almost like a white Tondonia from Rioja with oxy yellow peach and condensed milk notes, tart tatin, and caramelised apples. The texture is creamy and dense, plush and opulent wth peach stone fruit, bruised yellow orchard fruits and a lactic, oaky, vanilla pod finish. But it’s ever so funky, luscious and delicious.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Sadie Family Wines Palladius 2016, WO Swartland
The second very hot and dry vintage for the Cape, yet miraculously, many of the Chenin Blanc based blends defied the conditions to produced superb wines. A lot earthier and honied showing savoury characteristics with a much more aromatic, phenolic expression. But fabulously glycerol and balanced, seamless and focused with finely intertwined acids. Really delicious now. A triumphant wine.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Sadie Family Wines Palladius 2019, WO Swartland
The vineyards and blend reach a nice equilibrium in this vintage. The aromatics are pure and pinpoint with a pronounced pithy, mineral, crushed granite dust on the nose, intertwined with pithy yellow orchard fruits. The texture boasts great intensity along with harmonious balance and an ever present power. Hints of peach pastille and green apple cordial carry the full, textural palate weight effortlessly to a long and incredibly harmonious finish. Really impressive vinous architecture on display here.
