2023 Kokerboom

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.