2018 Mev. Kirsten Chenin Blanc
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Tasting notes
The 2018 Mev. Kirsten was opened as an additional wine simply because every guest at the Sadie tasting was so smitten by Eben Sadie’s Old Vine Series of whites. It turned out to be one of the wines of the night. It has breathtaking symmetry and delineation on the nose, hints of dried honey, shucked oyster shell and quince, demonstrating a touch more mineralité than the 2016. The palate is stony on the entry, everything resting on that silver thread of acidity, with just a touch of reduction on the finish. So complex, so long. Fabulous. Tasted at the Columella vertical in Hong Kong.
Critic scores
Neal Martin
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Mev. Kirsten has a seductive bouquet of dried honey, mirabelle , orange blossom and light fennel aromas. The palate is fresh and saline on the entry, with a sense of energy and vivid animation. The marmalade and quince-tinged finish leaves the tongue tingling with glee. This continues to be one of Sadie's most compelling labels.
Initially, the nose of the 2018 Old Vine Series Mev Kirsten started off shy but after getting the wineglass spinning, it awoke with a white powdery minerality, citrus focal point, centered around dusty white flowers. On the palate, the wine expands and unfolds with the complexity of a Rubik's cube, continually spinning between blanched almond skin, pressed citrus peel, bee pollen and with a fine powdery minerality that lingers through the finish. Medium to full-bodied, the complexity of this wine is evident with its long finish and bright acidity that is softly bitter and makes me crave fresh shellfish on the beach. The structure, complexity and focus will allow this wine to age for decades. Impressive!
About the producer
Since he started making wine under his own name in 2000, Eben Sadie became a cult name in South Africa. The Swartland producer is best known for his flagship Columella and Palladius, but he also makes a range of whites and reds under the Old Vine Series, which became the District Series in 2025.