Sadie Family T Voetpad 2014
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Old Vine Series T Voetpad comes from vines planted in 1887 and where Eben said works the most. A field blend of Semillon Blanc and Gris, Palomino, Chenin Blanc and Muscat, it has an extremely complex bouquet with white fennel, tarragon and rosemary infused tropical fruit with subtle resinous scents developing with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly honeyed texture, just a pinch of white pepper and fennel, and extremely well balanced with a harmonious, ineffably complex finish that lingers long and tenderly in the mouth. With the Mev Kristen, this is Eben's best Old Vine Series White in 2014. Stunning.
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Wine Spectator
Dense, with white peach, pear, quince and yellow apple fruit flavors forming a prodigious core. Remarkably racy and stony in feel overall, with blanched almond and salted butter notes keeping everything tightly harnessed through the finish. Chenin Blanc, Sémillon, Palomino and Muscat d'Alexandrie. Best from 2017 through 2022.
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The Sadie's two wines, Columella and Palladius, originate in the soils in the Swartland region, which stretches north of Cape Town between Durbanville and Piketberg, inland from the Atlantic Ocean, and centered on the town of Malmesbury. Importantly, the area has a remarkably stable climate, allowing a consistent level of quality each year, in subtly different vintage conditions.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
Literally meaning "the black land," Swartland takes its name from the endangered, indigenous "renosterbos" (translating to rhino bush), which used to be plentiful enough to turn the entire landscape a dark color certain during times of year. The district, attracting some of the most adventurous and least interventionist winemakers, excels in robust and full-bodied reds as well as quality fortified wines.