2022 Sadie Family Stellenbosch Mev. Kirsten Chenin Blanc

Sadie has been working with Chenin off this “truly incredible” granite vineyard at the foot of Bothmaskop Mountain in Stellenbosch’s Jonkershoek Valley since 2006. With most of the vines planted between 1905 and 1920, the mere one hectare (belonging to Mrs Kirsten and her family) is recognised as the oldest Chenin Blanc in South Africa. Due to the age of the vines, Sadie has been interplanting mass-selection cuttings to prolong the vineyard's life, though the younger vines are vinified separately. In time, the younger fraction will also be included in the blend.

Eben describes this hyper-rare wine as his most powerful and structured Chenin Blanc, juxtaposing silky elegance with immense texture, density and power. It ferments in an old foudre with lots of solids and is bottled unfiltered after 12 months of aging.

Other Reviews....
Full, fresh and lively in the glass, the 2022 Old Vine Series Mev Kirsten bursts with incredible freshness wrapped in finesse and seductive notes of dusty citrus blossoms. Medium-bodied, the mouthfeel offers considerable weight, a delightful nutty essence and a kiss of phenolic bitterness that gradually glides to a soft, leesy expression. The Mev Kirsten has a certain gravitas that weighs on the palate and hangs through the long, lingering, food-friendly finish. It’s mind-bogglingly delicious and has my head spinning for more. Only 4,500 bottles were produced from whole-bunch-pressed, old-vine Chenin Blanc that rested in old foudre. Drink 2023 - 2038.
97 points
Anthony Mueller - Wine Advocate (Dec 30, 2023)

The 2022 Mev. Kirsten is pure Swartland Chenin Blanc, whole bunch pressed into old foudres. It has a lovely touch of citrus lemon, orange blossom and just a hint of blackcurrant leaf, very mineral-driven with a bit of walnut coming through with aeration. The palate is ripe and the most tropical and exotic of Sadie's wines, with guava and passion fruit notes, lightly spiced with a very persistent finish. Utterly seductive. Drink 2025-2048.
95 points
Neal Martin - Vinous