Sadie Family Wines - Soldaat Grenache 2021 (750ml)
Price: $105.00
| Producer | Sadie Family Wines |
| Country | South Africa |
| Varietal | Cinsault |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Sku | 167579 |
| Size | 750ml |
For twenty years Eden Sadie has been working in South Africa’s rugged Swartland seeking to find isolated vineyards of old bush vines and unique terroirs from which he makes wines that are built to age. He came to Swartland in 1999 for its variety of soils and varied geology – chalk soils in some areas, granite, sandstone and alluvials elsewhere. Fairly warm and dry, the region lends itself to organic farming.
Sadie’s flagship wine is Columella, a syrah-based blend grown on slate, granite, sandstone and gravel first made in 2000. The quality of this wine continues to benefit from the experience gained over the 20 years of its production, reflecting the deeply research-based approach of the estate.
Several other bottlings are produced, including wines from Chenin Blanc, Semillon and co-fermented white field blends in addition to reds from Cinsault and Grenache among others. He is responding to the increasingly warmer climate by cultivating varietals that naturally do better in drier environments – such as the native grapes of Portugal, Sicily and southern Spain.
The estate has attracted a significant following not just for the extraordinary and relatively unknown terroirs from which the fruit is sourced but for the rigorous mindset of Eden Sadie himself. There is a strong pioneering spirit here. No compromises are made in the pursuit of making honest wines of quality.
Tim Atkin: 97 Points
Vinous: 95 Points
The 2021 Soldaat which includes 40% whole cluster is markedly pale in colour yet Sadie mentioned this wine actually contains a lot of tannin. It has a beguiling very distinctive red cherry and redcurrant nose a noticeable reduction (Sadie also mentioned that this Soldaat had been bottled with a lot of carbonic gas). The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins very transparent with a touch of sage and white pepper. Vibrant and poised on the brittle finish it delivers quite a stony aftertaste. Startling purity here - magnificent. - By Neal Martin on August 2022 Eben Sadie is a man of two passions?wine and the wave. I?ve no doubt his family is also high up on his list but in my personal experience these are what he dreams about. Hopefully Sadie is still with us. He was about to celebrate a significant milestone by flying to Fiji to surf a famous but no doubt dangerous break. Couldn?t he just gather a few mates for a bit of karaoke? Far safer. Meeting him at his Swartland farm I made sure that I had time to visit his small vat-room and tour his new acquisition of the neighbouring Rotsvas farm. ?We essentially started as a very tiny property? Sadie explains his dog running perilously close to his bakkie (pick-up truck) as we inspect the vines. ?Of the original 17 hectares only 8.5 was great soil and so we planted three parcels: Slangdraai [snake bend] Twiswind [to argue with the wind] and Sonvang [sun-catch]. Still as it stands we never owned our old vines - we have about 25 hectares under lease contracts and those are predominantly very old parcels. There was one old vine parcel of Chenin Blanc that was literally 15 meters away from where our last vineyard stopped. I
Wine Advocate: 94 Points
Lighter in color this year the 2021 Old Vine Series Soldaat is brilliant with a fleshy ripe crunchy red fruit essence that sways with an aroma of dusty cherry blossom. Medium-bodied and with 13% alcohol the palate is fresh yet possesses a nervous energy that uncoils as the wine sits on the palate before revealing a delightful tannic grip. The Grenache concludes with a fine floral finish and will need additional time in the bottle to come together but will drink fantastically over the next 12- 14 years. Just give it some time and your patience will be rewarded.
