Sadie Family Palladius 2019
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Columella's treatise on farming, De Re Rustica, is a comprehensive account of Roman viticulture. His successor was Palladius. 13 parcels, all in the Swartland, specifically in Paardeberg, Piketberg, and St Helena Bay. Always a blend and always Chenin Blanc based. Naturally fermented in clay amphora and concrete eggs. Further aging in truly neutral casks. Unripe yellow fruit, lanolin, vibrant.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Delivering aromas of lemon oil, raw honeycomb, wax melon and underripe peach skin, the 2019 Palladius is gorgeous on the nose, with a delightful floral lift and dusty nuance. Medium-bodied on the palate, the wine offers notions of dusty honeysuckle, underripe peach skin and citrus blossom along with lovely mineral tension and a kiss of phenolic bitterness. This will remain food-friendly until its 20th birthday. Every time I try these wines, they never seem to fail to deliver pleasure. Absolutely stunning!
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Wine Spectator
A graceful white, offering good focus and complexity without excessive weight. Presents a pleasing hint of waxiness that plays off the bright acidity, with notes of baked pear, lemon curd and graham cracker. Shows pretty accents of spring blossoms, ground ginger and fleur de sel on the lasting finish. Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier, Verdelho, Roussanne, Marsanne and Colombard. Drink now
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The Sadie's two wines, Columella and Palladius, originate in the soils in the Swartland region, which stretches north of Cape Town between Durbanville and Piketberg, inland from the Atlantic Ocean, and centered on the town of Malmesbury. Importantly, the area has a remarkably stable climate, allowing a consistent level of quality each year, in subtly different vintage conditions.
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.