Chenin Blanc, Swartland,

David & Nadia Sadie are a young husband and wife team whose thoughtful, sensitive approach to viticulture and winemaking has set them out as one of the Swartland’s shining stars. Their quest to nurture and restore low yielding old vineyards is an effort to breathe new life into the region’s enviable stock of old vines and shine a light on the qualities of the beautiful Swartland at large. More than that though, they are also establishing new vineyards, which they have planted to Grenache - their flagship variety along with Chenin Blanc. Once in the winery, the grapes see a cool soak before spontaneous fermentation and aging in a combination of concrete and neutral French oak. Extractions are gentle and aim for light, lifted fruit, freshness and perfume. The core range comprises four wines: Aristargos, a beautiful Cape White Blend, Elpidios, a Grenache-based Mediterranean blend, and two single varietals – Chenin Blanc and Grenache. At their heart, the core wines are based on vineyards grown in the decomposed granite soils of the Paardeberg, bringing freshness and minerality, blended with schist, iron, and clay based sites, which builds complexity. At the top of the quality pyramid are three single vineyard Chenin Blancs: Hoe-Steen, Skaliekop and Plat’Bos, each a faithful reflection of a different underlying soil type (iron-rich clay, shale, and decomposed granite, respectively). From humble beginnings, David & Nadia are now recognised as one of the Cape’s very top producers.