Winemaker Notes
The aromas are a journey of tropical, ripe fruit aspects going all the way to a very saline and mineral texture.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Impressively graceful, moving confidently across the palate. The firm but well-integrated acidity links notes of blanched almond, white raspberry, clementine, elderflower and cardamom. Nearly seamless, but this should develop further and show even more in a few years. Best from 2022 through 2036.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A gentle giant with a quiet nose that is shy yet possesses a pure minerality to the heart of its core, the 2017 Palladius has expressive and dusty citrus tones, with a wet river rock stoniness. The palate is balanced with a firm acidic edge and focus that is truly mindboggling. Medium-bodied with a long saline finish, the perplexing expression lingers with lemon oil, bee pollen and fine chalky powder. The acidity and balance in this wine are going to ensure that it possesses the ability to live on for decades in your cellar. Be patient. It's good now but it will get better in time.
Rating:93(+?)
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Vinous
The 2017 Palladius is matured in a mixture of concrete and clay. It gradually unfurls with brioche, praline and honeysuckle aromas, wonderfully focused and precise. The well-balanced palate delivers orange zest and tangerine on the entry. The acidity is very well judged and there is real brightness and tension toward the finish. Is it the most complex Palladius Sadie has ever made? Maybe not, but it is still a beautiful wine.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
Literally meaning "the black land," Swartland takes its name from the endangered, indigenous "renosterbos" (translating to rhino bush), which used to be plentiful enough to turn the entire landscape a dark color certain during times of year. The district, attracting some of the most adventurous and least interventionist winemakers, excels in robust and full-bodied reds as well as quality fortified wines.