Swartland Old Vine Series Rotsbank 2023 (75 CL)

The Sadie Family's 2023 Swartland Old Vine Series Rotsbank is Chenin Blanc that is especially tightly knit, flinty and mineral in personality. That reductive quality bodes well for the long haul, and you should resist opening this bottle within five years of the harvest. Glimmers of honey, almond blossom and pithy stone fruit shine from within. This site is characterized by weathered granite soils on a shallow shelf. In fact, the name Rotsbank means "rock bench" in Afrikaans. Eben Sadie says he had his eye on this vineyard for 14 years, but it belonged to the local cooperative. He was finally able to buy it, and the first vintage made was 2022. I love the reductive character of this wine; it adds a snap and tension, like a rubber band. (ML, 6/2025)