2023 Sadie Family Columella Red, Swartland

Black cherries, fresh plums, sandalwood, peach pits, sage and cloves on the nose of this deliciously polished and complex red. It’s medium- to full-bodied, intense yet full of finesse and elegance, with firm and very fine-grained tannins. Long, continuous and delicious, with a beautiful interplay of fruit and spice. I love this wine. Syrah, mourvedre, grenache, carignan, cinsault, tinta barocca and pinotage. Drinkable already but better after a couple of years.

98 points jamessuckling.com

Sadie Family Columella from Swartland is one of the most important wines in South Africa’s modern history, a benchmark red that helped redefine the potential of the Cape’s ancient dry-farmed vineyards. Eben Sadie draws fruit from a handful of tiny parcels across the rugged Paardeberg and surrounding mountains, where decomposed granite and slate soils, relentless winds and minimal rainfall produce grapes of astonishing concentration and natural balance. Syrah forms the core of the blend, with Mourvèdre and small accents of Mediterranean varieties contributing lifted perfume, savoury structure and wild Swartland soul. Everything is worked by hand, from low-yielding bush vines to sorting berry by berry. Fermentation is spontaneous in open concrete, extraction is gentle and maturation takes place in large, old oak foudre to respect the fruit and the vineyards’ quiet power.

The aroma profile is captivating. Blackberry, blueberry and plum weave through violets, sage and cracked pepper, joined by notes of charred rock, leather, dried lavender and sun-baked herbs. There is a deep sense of the landscape here: garrigue, warm earth and crushed stone riding behind the fruit. As the wine gains air, hints of cocoa nib, licorice, smoked meat and wild rose appear, bringing both drama and refinement.

The palate is structured, velvety and profoundly layered. Saturated dark fruit is carried by tannins that feel both powerful and silk stitched, while Mourvèdre’s grip and savoury depth give architectural definition. Flavours of black cherry, mulberry compote, crushed pepper, olive tapenade and warm spice unfold slowly, guided by a mineral spine that brings remarkable freshness for such intensity. The finish is long, resonant and deeply satisfying, echoing fruit, spice and stony earth long after each sip. Columella ages magnificently: over ten to twenty years it gains complexity in the realms of truffle, tobacco leaf and resinous herbs while maintaining its vibrant core.

A commanding partner for chargrilled lamb, venison, slow braised beef, North African spiced dishes, mushroom ragù, aged cheddar or simply enjoyed on its own when you have time to appreciate every layer. This is a wine that speaks of place, of old vines and of a winemaker who listens closely to his land.