2022 Sadie Family Chenin Blanc "Mev Kirsten", Swartland, South Africa

ABOUT THIS WINE

Mev. Kirsten is the crown jewel of Eben Sadie’s Ouwingerdreeks (Old Vine Series)—not just for its quality, but for its historical and cultural significance. Sourced from South Africa’s oldest known Chenin Blanc vineyard, planted in the late 1880s in Stellenbosch’s foothills, this dry-farmed bush-vine parcel yields minute quantities of fruit each year, offering a singular expression of site, vine age, and tradition.

The vineyard is ungrafted, organically farmed, and rooted in decomposed granite soils. Its name pays tribute to Maria Kirsten, the former owner and guardian of the land. The 2022 vintage benefited from moderate growing conditions and a cool, extended harvest, allowing the old vines to ripen slowly and evenly, preserving acidity and phenolic nuance.

Grapes are hand-harvested and pressed whole-bunch, then fermented spontaneously in old wooden casks using only indigenous yeasts. The wine is left on its lees for 12 months without batonnage or intervention, followed by an additional 6 months of élevage before bottling unfined and unfiltered.

The 2022 Mev. Kirsten is remarkably composed—gentle in its delivery, yet deep in resonance. Expect notes of pear skin, almond paste, citrus oil, beeswax, and crushed granite. With its subtle oxidative edge and powerful inner structure, it’s a Chenin built not for flash, but for contemplation and longevity—cellar for 15–20 years with confidence.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

The Sadie Family Wines is South Africa’s most lauded and influential estate, founded by Eben Sadie in 1999 in the Swartland. Eben’s work has been foundational in shifting South African wine toward low-intervention, terroir-driven production rooted in heritage, sustainability, and old-vine preservation.

The Old Vine Series (Ouwingerdreeks) is a collection of single-vineyard wines made from historically significant parcels, many planted between the 1920s and 1960s. Mev. Kirsten stands alone as the oldest of them all—a viticultural relic and a living testament to the resilience and beauty of old vines.

Eben farms with a holistic, regenerative approach and uses no synthetic inputs. In the cellar, everything is handled with restraint and gravity—fermentations are wild, extractions are gentle, and oak is always neutral. The wines are expressive, intellectual, and honest reflections of time and place.

Mev. Kirsten is not just a great South African white—it is a global benchmark for what Chenin Blanc can be when vine age, terroir, and a thoughtful hand come together.