Old Vine Series. Rotsbank is Sadie’s first release of a new vineyard in over a decade. Having coveted the site for fourteen years, Eben finally got his hands on these 40-year-old vines in 2021. “We have always maintained that we would only bottle a Swartland Chenin if it could be from this vineyard,” Eben tells us. “It might have been a long 14 years of waiting to get our hands on this vineyard, but it was simply worth it in every respect.”

It is located in the Paardeberg and planted on a very shallow rock shelf, “Rotsbank”, which leads to minimal growth for the vines as the topsoil is exceptionally shallow. The reserves are always minimal, and the general shoot length and bunch sizes are much smaller than in the surrounding Chenin vineyards. The first release is clearly special, yet Eben believes there is more to come, noting: “We have spent much time and capital over the past three seasons to elevate this vineyard to the highest level, and within a year or two, we expect an even greater response from the soils.”