Modern, Post-War and Contemporary Art, Decorative Arts, Jewellery and Wine
Online-Only Auction, 15 - 22 February 2021
Wine Rhône Theme
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
Private Client
Critics Ratings
'The 2008 Columella is a Shiraz based blend with a little Mourvedre grown on mainly granite soils and aged for two years in barrels. It has a very distinct bouquet with vibrant, well defined, wild dark berried fruit intermingling with subtle aromas of dark plum, blackberry leaf and a touch of cassis all with great precision. The palate is medium-bodied with fine but sturdy tannins, supremely well balanced with superb acidity and expression, finishing with great mineralite on the finish that has slight blur of alcohol' - RobertParker.com 92/100
An incredible rare opportunity to purchase very early vintages of South Africa's Iconic Red.