Tim James: Developments at Sadie Family Wines, and at Paulus Wine Co

The personality of Eben Sadie is so dominant and his association with the winery he has built up over the last quarter-century has been so compelling, that I suspect not all drinkers of the Sadie Family wines realise that in recent years they have been vinified primarily by Paul Jordaan. After working together with Paul for some time, Eben felt able to leave him in charge of the winery while he himself ranged near and far, focusing on work on the vineyards they own and lease. That situation has never been hidden, and Paul has received full recognition; nonetheless, he’s a quieter presence.

Now Paul is about to leave – perhaps a touch earlier than expected, but not a surprise, and with Eben’s full understanding and support. Paul has had his own small label since the 2018 vintage, named Paulus for himself and Pauline Roux (who also collaborates with Hanneke Krüger in Vino pH). They are no longer personal partners but the pair continue to own the brand and to work together on it. There are at present two chenins, made very much in the spirit of the new Swartland, one from old Paardeberg bushvines (Bosberaad), the other from an old Helderberg block (Bartàs). One imagines there will soon be more, made for now in the Capensis facility in the former Simonsvlei winery. I reckon that Paulus is a brand that we will be hearing a great deal more about.

Back on the Paardeberg estate, the next element in the long-planned succession is sufficiently developed to slot in. Long-hoped-for as well as long-planned, I reckon: Eben is lucky that his two sons welcomed the wine in their blood, and the opportunity they grew up with. Markus, the elder, and Xander, both now in their mid-20s, have been well “prepped for succession”, to use dad’s words to me. They both spent a few years after their formal university training gathering both local and international experience in leading wine-cellars (Eben’s connections would have proved immensely useful in finding them places), and visiting wine regions. Younger daughter Lise-Marie might well join the family business too, in time, and in a different capacity.

So into the Sadie Family Wines cellar now comes Markus Sadie, to work initially at least with Eben. Xander, also a passionate cook, which is a nice thing to have in the family too (there’s a professional-level kitchen in the grand new building, of which more shortly), is at present making wine for Peter Walser’s Blank Bottle – and developing various systems there, very necessary when making such a range of wines and something that much appeals to his approach to things. He should be joining the home-team fairly soon – though exactly when is uncertain.

But  Markus is there. He joined Paul and Eben, as very much the junior partner, in the cellar for the 2024 vintage. The new cellar, that is, occupying its share of the splendid building that has been going up for a few years now – at great expense of stress as well as cash. The carefully, painstakingly planned winery worked extremely well – “incomparable” says Eben – in terms of logistics and flow systems: a great infrastructure for making wine.

Last October in a piece about the development of the “revolutionary Paardeberg”, I gave a brief but perhaps breathlessly impressed account of the new building on the Sadies’ Rotsvas farm, then only about three-quarters finished. It’s now just getting the final touches of furnishing. The winery that saw its working debut this year occupies half of it – serried concrete fermenters and wooden vats and working space and airiness. If that’s all a touch cold and clinical in feeling (at least while there are no hoses and workers and spills moving around), the rest has all the warmth of natural wood and clever lighting. The wines don’t see much in the way of new French oak, but the flooring, panelling and furniture in the rest of the building (including office space, tasting and dining and recreation areas) must have kept the chainsaws busy in a good chunk of the forest of Alliers, before being handed over to ingenious craftspeople here.

So Paul Jordaan is to leave to build his own brand. The “Family” part of the Sadie name is set to become ever-more relevant on the Paardeberg home-farm, and the second generation is starting to play its part. Vineyards are planted and the first, mixed black-grape one is already supplying grapes to the Columella blend. A massive building programme is at an end. All this in less than a quarter-century. It’s a remarkable achievement. It seems to me from what he says that Eben’s personal focus now is now going to be as much on the farm’s people, and their development, as on vineyards and cellar.

Many years ago, when this programme was in its infant stages, Eben told me that “building a great wine is not the work of one generation”. That overarching, almost impersonal ambition remains. He’s by no means ready yet to hand over to the next generation, but it must be a joyful reassurance to know that it’s rising, ready to join in and continue the work.

• Tim James is one of South Africa’s leading wine commentators, contributing to various local and international wine publications. His book Wines of South Africa – Tradition and Revolution appeared in 2013.