Wine Advisor
David & Nadia, Aristargos 2021
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2021 Aristargos is a blend of 17 parcels built around 49% Chenin Blanc with a little skin contact, aged for 11 months in used French barrels and some foudre. It has a well-defined bouquet with oily, resinous scents, something almost Germanic here. The palate is very well balanced with a touch of spice on the entry, fine acidity, orange rind and fennel towards the appealing finish. Just a lovely, quite cerebral wine.
About the Producer
David and Nadia Sadie met at the University of Stellenbosch when David shifted his focus to viticulture after a rugby injury ended his initial passion. He went on to work vintages around the world, from Marlborough to St. Emilion, before returning to South Africa. David eventually took over the cellar in the Swartland where Andrea and Chris Mullineux previously made wine, restoring it in 2014. Nadia joined him in 2016, and it has been a family affair ever since. She oversees viticulture for their project and manages the leased vineyards, employing biological farming practices by avoiding herbicides, planting cover crops, and experimenting with organic conversion. Together, David and Nadia produce high-acid, textured wines that have established them as one of the most highly regarded wineries in the Swartland.
