2021 Sadie Family Palladius, Swartland

Toeing the line to triple digits, the 2021 Palladius is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Sémillon, Colombard, Verdellho and Palomino. Instantly impressive in the glass, the wine is bold with waxy aromas that sway with seductive notes of lemon pastry cream, dusty melon and citrus blossoms. Medium-bodied and with 13.7% alcohol, the palate is succulent and bright with fantastic acid and displays a kiss of phenolic bitterness that beams with focus and precision. Subtle notes of beeswax and lees drive the finish with immense complexity and considerable weight. The aftertaste summersaults with complexity, offering fresh and bright citrus notes with notions of dusty flowers. It will remain food friendly for decades. It's devastatingly beautiful and cerebral. 12,400 bottles were produced after the grapes were whole-bunch pressed and rested in concrete and amphora.

99 points Anthony Mueller robertparker.com

We want Palladius to operate in the same space as Columella", says Eben Sadie of his complex, 17 parcel, multi-varietal white blend, produced as a macedoine of Chenin Blanc with 75% Verdelho, Roussanne, Palomino, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier and Marsanne. Peach, pear, citrus and grapefruit flavours are complemented by subtle lees from ageing in concrete eggs and amphoras, tangy acidity and impressive underlying concentration

96 points Tim Atkin MW South Africa Report 2023

Signature wine. Palladius is a blend of all 11 of Swartland’s official white varieties, with old bush-vine Chenin Blanc playing the principal role. Like the Columella red, the idea is to produce a great white that represents the overall terroir of Swartland, so it tries to use all permitted grapes. As a result, it is harvested from 17 sites, with the full list of grapes taking in Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier, Verdelho, Roussanne, Marsanne, Semillon Blanc, Palomino and Colombard, as well as the hyper-rare Semillon Gris (which plays a starring role in Sadie’s Kokerboom and ’T Voetpad cuvées). Scattered throughout Swartland, most of the vineyards are rooted in decomposed Paardeberg granite (although four parcels lie on sandstone), and most qualify for old-vine status (35 years plus), with the oldest planted in 1935. The younger-vine fruit comes from Sadie’s own plantings, though even here, the yields max out at 30 hl/ha.

As for the winemaking, the fruit was sorted and pressed in a traditional, vertical press directly into clay amphora and concrete egg (725 litres). The wine went to large wooden foudre for maturation. The full aging cycle is 24 months. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Throughout the season, Sadie’s primary goal is, in his own words, “to try and get the maximum volume of compact fruit and texture together with the best potential volume of acidity and freshness.” He has unquestionably achieved that here, with the extra breadth, power and texture setting Palladius apart from his Old Vine Series whites. Palladius relies less on acidity than those wines, harnessing a deep, phenolic freshness that frames the wine. Eben continues: “Over the past five years, Palladius has been the wine that gained the most in quality and refinement, and much of this has to do with the addition of more vineyards and the improvement of their viticulture.” It’s a white of vast complexity, the kind you can sit with for hours. The 2021 is magical; Eben’s tasting note below captures it beautifully. It’s deep, powerful, and complex, yes, but it has finesse, freshness and balance, making it a joy to drink.