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 15-25%, depending on the year. Both Semillons are 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. This year, Kokerboom is the lowest-yielding vineyard of the District Series—in 2023, the vines squeezed out just 16 hl/ha— and Eden implores that what little there is should be shared among friends! For the second year running, there was very little rain in the Citrusdal Mountains, and again, Sadie opted to pick the grapes slightly earlier than he would naturally be inclined to. Bottled at 13.8% alcohol and notwithstanding its fresh appearance, it is a powerful wine (in the most beautiful sense). “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.
“Henk Laing's grape and rooibos tea farm on the Citrusdal Mountain has been taken over by his family after his death, which is a relief to fans of this wine (and others from the property). A co-fermentation of Semillon and 25% Semillon Gris, this is generally the most exotic white in the Sadie Family range, but is a bit more focused in 2023 because of the early pick. Lime, nectarine and lemon zest flavours are underpinned by stony minerality.” 96 points, Tim Atkin MW, South Africa Report 2023
“The 2023 Kokerboom is a blend of co-planted Sémillon Blanc and Gris on sandstone with shale and silt—Sadie’s most northerly parcel in the Cape. Yellow plum and light waxy scents slowly emerge on the nose; this is another 2023 that takes time to open in the glass, with just a hint of star anise in the background. Fresh and tensile, the palate is well balanced with citric notes of bitter lemon and orange rind, leading to another strict and linear finish that lingers in the mouth. Very fine.” 93 points, Neal Martin, Vinous
“Named after the South African quiver tree that looks like a giant succulent from a Jurassic age, The Sadie Family's 2023 Citrusdal Mountain Old Vine Series Kokerboom is a blend of Semillon Blanc and the pink-hued Semillon Gris from vines dating back to the first half of the 1900s. This wine, as you would expect, has a weighty feel, lots of volume and a viscous texture, but it stops short of feeling too heavy or cloying. Fruit ripens easily in this location given the high solar radiation. In fact, there is a lot of energy here, despite the waxy sensations and the unruly intensity that comes forth as petroleum jelly, honey, saffron and apricot. It ages in an old foudre for 12 months, like most of the whites in this portfolio, and grapes come from a site with weathered Table Mountain sandstone and a high iron content. Given the remote location of this vineyard, it takes four hours to drive the harvested grapes back to the winery. When they arrive in the evening, they are put into a cold room for the night. Production is around 4,000 bottles, and the wine was first produced in 2009.” 95 points, Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate