South African & International Fine Wine
Live Auction, 14 September 2019
Session One
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
About this Item
Eben Sadie is South Africa’s most revered winemaker and he arguably kick-started the local fine wine revolution. Over two decades his pursuit for quality in the Swartland has been unparalleled in South Africa and he was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2017 by the International Master of Wine Institute. Eben’s wines were influenced by the Rhône and Spain, with traditional local varieties sourced from pockets of old bush vines and unique terroirs. Long-ageing Columella is often regarded as South Africa’s best red, while Palladius similarly offers an incredible Swartland expression and decades of longevity. The old vine single vineyard series, which was first released in the 2009 vintage, is now firmly the most sought-after release of the year. Mev Kirsten is South Africa’s rarest white wine, produced from a century old Stellenbosch vineyard, while the now legendary Skurfberg received 100 points from Tim Atkin in 2020.
Columella is named after the ancient Roman writer who produced perhaps the earliest good treatise on viticulture in his De re rustica. Starting in 2000, Eben’s goal was to produce the finest expression of the Swartland and today Columella is South Africa’s most coveted red wine.
Provenance
Wine Cellar
Critics Ratings
As with complex 10, shiraz-led with mourvédre in 11 (4.5*), offering trademark glossy dark fruit, scrub & violets, a lovely youthful freshness. Sleek & polished, the deep muscle tone promises a long life ahead.’ – Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2014, 4.5*
‘The 2011 Columella is more reticent on the nose when compared directly against the 2010: straight-laced and linear with subtle tertiary notes that unfurl with aeration. This seems more masculine than the previous vintage. The palate is vibrant and poised on the entry with fresh crisp tannins, effervescent citrus fresh red and black fruit, a dash of white and black pepper and a beautifully poised finish. Once those aromatics awaken with time, this will be a stunning Columella. Drink 2015-2025. Eben Sadie simply wrote “old rules” in the spec sheet for his Old Vine Series, which sums up his approach perfectly. You never quite know what you will get with the wines – so please bear that in mind. That is what makes them so thrilling, because when they do excel they can represent something that attains true profundity, wines that are willing to offer intellectual as well as sensory pleasure. They are produced in small quantities so they can be difficult to track down, though in my opinion they remain very keenly priced? for now.’ – Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (October 2013), 95/100
‘Bright medium ruby. Knockout perfume of raspberry, cherry, smoke and menthol; this one also reminded me of a Rayas. Lush, suave and dry, showing a compelling savory quality to its raspberry and flinty mineral flavors. Finishes classically dry and backward, even a bit ungiving today, but with palate-staining length. This has all the elements to make a great bottle, but it calls for at least six or seven years of additional cellaring..’ – Stephen Tanzer, Vinous.com (January 2015), 94+?/100
‘Rich, ripe and remarkably stylish, this lets layers of plum sauce, steeped blackberry and black currant pâte de fruit unfurl, while notes of ganache, espresso and graphite provide spine and direction on the finish, with a lovely anise echo. Drink now through 2020. 750 cases made.’ – Wine Spectator (June 2014), 94/100
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