WHAT IT MEANS: Old vines yield high quality, but low volumes. Sadie’s wine got an almost perfect score of 96/100.When Anna Kirsten passed away at the age of 90 in April 2015 she left an irreplaceable legacy: the country’s oldest chenin blanc vineyard, which she had lovingly tended on her wine estate in Stellenbosch’s Jonkershoek Valley.Her name lives on in a white wine, Mev Kirsten, created by master winemaker Eben Sadie and made from her chenin blanc vines, which were planted before her birth, between 1905 and 1920. "She was a great inspiration to me," says Sadie, who is as passionate about old vineyards as he is about the wines for which he has won international acclaim: the red Columella and the white Palladius.Sadie’s own roots are in the Western Cape’s Swartland where, as the first winemaker at Charles Back’s Spice Route Winery between 1998 and 2001, he played a key role in putting the region onto the international wine map.Sadie likens grapevines to humans. "A young vine is li...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.