2024 Sadie Family Citrusdal Mountain Kokerboom
2024 Sadie Family Citrusdal Mountain Kokerboom

2024 Sadie Family Citrusdal Mountain Kokerboom

96 pts
Sadie Family Wines |Citrusdal Mountain |Semillon
A rare old-vine field blend of Semillon Blanc and Semillon Gris from the 1930s. Just 6 bottles available.
Price:
$179.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

This is one of the most distinct wines in the District Series, offering a rare look at South Africa’s viticultural history. Named after the striking Kokerboom (aloe) plants that surround the vines, this vineyard sits high up in the Citrusdal Mountain district on arid sandstone soils. Planted back in the 1930s, it is one of the few remaining sites where you find pristine old-vine Semillon that has never seen a drop of herbicide or artificial fertiliser.

It is actually a field blend of Semillon Blanc and the pink-skinned Semillon Gris, which makes up about 30% of the mix. Eben co-ferments them in large old oak, allowing the varieties to integrate from day one. For the 2024 release, he picked a little earlier to capture the fresher side of the site.

The 2024 is powerful but focused. You get that signature waxy texture and notes of beeswax and chamomile, but it is lifted by ripe lime, nectarine and a spicy kick of ginger. There is no green herbaceousness here - just ripe fruit supported by a stony, mineral backbone. It is a deeply textural wine that feels almost timeless.

96 points
"Lots of weight and layering, with a waxy yet fresh feel. Spicy, long finish. Exciting..."
- James Suckling

95 points
"The 2024 release has flavours of clementine, citrus and a hint of peach, a waxy undertone, a top note of fennel and a refreshing finish."
- Tim Atkin MW (South Africa Report 2025)

Tim Atkin MW

Tim Atkin MW

South Africa Special Report 2025 95 Points

Kokerboom combines Semillon with 30% of its mutation Semillon Gris, all within the same vineyard on Citrusdal Mountain. More restrained and focused than it can be, the 2024 release has flavours of clementine, citrus and a hint of peach, a waxy undertone, a top note of fennel and a refreshing finish. 2027-31.

James Suckling

James Suckling

James Suckling 96 Points

Sliced pears, beeswax, grapefruit, wild herbs and juniper berries on the nose of this full-bodied, creamy white. Lots of weight and layering, with a waxy yet fresh feel. Spicy, long finish. Exciting hint of ginger and tobacco at the very end. Co-planted semillon and semillon gris.

Citrusdal Mountain. Following the Citrusdal Valley north towards Clanwilliam, we come to Sadie’s highest vineyard, Kokerboom. Named for the striking aloe plants that grow near the vines, Kokerboom was planted on Table Mountain sandstone in the 1930s and is now home to one of Swartland’s few remaining plantings of old-vine Semillon. This variety once made up 80% of South Africa’s plantings. The site was owned and managed by Henk Laing until his recent death, and Sadie says that this “is one of the most pristine old vineyards we know. No herbicides or artificial fertilisers have ever been used on it, and it has been perfectly pruned over the years. The downside is that it is small and low yielding.”

Kokerboom is a field blend of Semillon Blanc and Semillon Gris, the latter contributing 15-30%, depending on the year. Both Semillons were picked and pressed together and raised in large-format oak. Thanks to its solar exposition, the Semillon ripens exceptionally well and has little to none of the tart herbaceousness sometimes associated with the grape. Instead, Semillon from this site is known for its ripe lime characters, chamomile notes and waxy texture. “The tannins, acidity, overall texture, and volume in the wine are incredible, and we are in awe of the power of this terroir,” says Eben. The 2024 wine showcases the fresher side of this vineyard.

Price Bracket $101 and Above
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Semillon
Country South Africa
Region Citrusdal Mountain
Feature High Score
Iconic
Cult
Reviewed By Tim Atkin MW
James Suckling
Critic Score 96
95
Size 750ml
Vintage 2024
Closure Cork

Sadie Family Wines

One of the tearaway producers of the revitalised Swartland wine scene, Sadie Family Wines has had an astronomical rise to fame on the international stage.

Owner and winemaker, Eben Sadie, first found acclaim under the banner of Terroir Al Limit where he was a co-founder alongside Dominik Huber. In the same way that Terroir Al Limit helped redefine what wine could taste like from Priorat in Spain, Sadie handles his family wines and vines with that same ruthless attention to detail.

These wines perfectly articulate a sense of place. Sadie's transparency in winemaking and obsessive farming practices reveal intense, tightly-wound wines with distinct personality. These are now some of South Africa's most keenly sought-after artisan wines. Worldwide allocations are minuscule and hotly contested. As little as a handful of bottles make it to Australia each year. Secure these rare birds while you can.

Eben Sadie in the vineyard Sadie Family Wines

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