Provenance

Private Client

Critics Ratings

2009:
'Dense and very refined, with mouthwatering cut to the damson plum, red currant, cherry and black currant fruit, underscored by a blaze of iron. Long and taut through the finish, offering flecks of spice, bergamot and rooibos tea before the backdrop of roasted apple wood takes over. This needs a little more time in the cellar to round into form. Best from 2014 through 2020.' – Wine Spectator 94/100 (2013)

'Mainly shiraz, with mourvédre & grenache, which Eben Sadie believes best match the Swartland. That’s what 09 shows: ripe dark fruit & scrub, savoury spice interwoven through the perfume, flavours, & not least, supple tannins. Nothing showy, just perfect harmony.' – Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2012, 5*

2010:
'Shiraz-led with mourvédre & grenache. Crammed with luscious berries, 10 tannins provide sleek musculature, but seamed throughout are violets, scrub, graphite, complex notes setting this wine apart.' – Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2013, 5*

'Good dark red. Knockout nose combines blueberry, mulberry, smoky raspberry, Asian spices, flinty minerality, coffee, leather and dusty herbs; showed an increasingly pinot-like perfume as it opened in the glass. Wonderfully aromatic in the mouth, with superb energy and lift to the juicy red berry, spice, floral and mineral flavors. Not a hugely fleshy wine but in vibrancy, complexity and inner-mouth perfume it transcends its category. Finishes with firm tannins and a whiplash of flavor. I'd like to taste this wine again in five or six years.' – Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, 94/100 (2013)

2011:
'One of the finest selections from South Africa today, Sadie's 2011 Columella is structured, complex and masterfully balanced, ready for a beautiful, long life ahead. The bouquet leads with lovely scents of rooibos tea, minty fynbos and African violets that frame the ripe boysenberry, blackberry and plum fruit spine. Layers of lush black fruit and earthy spice dance on the velvety palate, with peppery tannins that hang on to the lingering finish alongside hints of cocoa powder, licorice root and star anise. Drink now–2024.' - Lauren Buzzeo, Wine Enthusiast, 95/100 (Apr 2016)

‘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, 95/100 (Oct 2013)

2012:
'Don’t worry about tasting reds before whites, our whites always destroy the reds. White vines much older than reds.’ RS about 2.8 g/l. Much less intense colour than the 2005. Mid crimson. Lively freshness on the nose. Real tension and great juiciness. Something much more mineral than the 2005. Really appetising. Sinews and very long and juicy. Beauty and personality.’ – Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 18/20 (Apr 2015)

'The 2012 Columella is a blend of 76% Syrah, 17% Mourvedre and 7% Grenache from the Swartland and Paardeberg area, hand-sorted and fermented in 2,000-liter open wooden fermenters and raised in barriques (10% new) for 12 months then one year in oval foudres. It has a very well-defined bouquet that repays time in the glass: wild strawberry and bilberry, cloves and white pepper, distant sea spray scents. The palate is medium-bodied with taut tannins, crisp acidity, superb backbone and real “authority” on the finish. One of those wines that will instantly change anyone who does not take South African wine seriously.' – Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 96/100 (Oct 2014)

2013:
'This is the fourteenth vintage of a wine that helped to define the Swartland and it’s the best yet. Syrah-based with support from Mourvèdre, Grenache and Cinsault, it’s fine and aromatic, with pure, mineral and berry fruit flavours, subtle oak integration and tannins that build on the palate. An incredible wine from a winemaker at the peak of his powers. Drink: 2016-25' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2015, 97/100

'Dark crimson. Wonderful combination of richness and freshness. Bone-dry finish and some dustiness. Juicy before that dusty finish. Tangy. Even if not as outstanding as the white counterpart Palladius.' - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17/20 (Sep 2015)

2014:
'Medium ruby-red. Deep aromas of blackberry, olive tapenade, botanical herbs, lavender, spices, licorice and savory minerality. Plush but firm on the palate, displaying terrific energy and shape to the flavors of dark berries, black pepper, wild herbs and spices. With its wonderfully even, fine-grained tannins and outstanding saline persistence, this savory wine is already compulsively drinkable. Really stains the palate with purple fruits, spices and red flowers. I find this much easier to understand than the 2013 was two years ago but its distinct firmness suggests that it will evolve slowly. Really stands out for its energy and lift and for its almost Pinot-like weight.' - Neal Martin, Vinous, 95/100 (Apr 2017)

“We are very proud of this wine,” says Eben Sadie, and rightly so. The Syrah component of this iconic wine has decreased every year and now stands at 50%, complemented by Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault and Tinta Barocca. It’s a very nuanced, elegant wine, with subtle bramble and blackberry fruit, stony minerality, nuanced oak and undertones of aromatic fynbos. Drink: 2016-24' - Tim Atkin SA Wine Report 2016, 96/100

2015:
‘Eight vineyards and five Rhône varieties contribute to this breathtaking cuvée. Bramble, liquorice, red and black fruits, incense, pepper and stony minerality are supported by sinewy tannins, stylish oak and incredible focus. Don’t be in a hurry to drink this wine. 2020-30.’ - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2017, 97/100

'On the nose, cherries, plums raspberry, blueberry and blackberry, lavender, fynbos, liquorice, white pepper and spice. The palate is dense but not too dense with lemon-like acidity and fine tannins. Nothing exaggerated, all of a piece, it transports you to its place of origin and isn’t that what great wine does?' - Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 97/100 (Nov 2017)

2016:
‘A tightly wound but well-crafted example, this needs a little bit of air at the moment, but will be better after a few years of cellaring. Elegant, featuring notes of damson plum, black tea and lavender, with juicy acidity and firm, integrated tannins providing support. Shows balance, intensity and depth.’ – James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, 94/100 (May 2019)

'Aromatically, the 2016 has more base than top notes – dark fruit, black olive, scrub, earth and spice. It makes a massive impression in the mouth – great depth of fruit, driving acidity and firm but fine tannins combine to quite stark effect. It’s, not a weighty wine, however, the alcohol at 13.7% the lowest since the maiden vintage 2000. It’s a pretty hardcore drinking experience right now and should probably only really be broached five or so years down the line.’ – Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 94/100 (Aug 2018)

2017:
‘Shiraz with mourvèdre, grenache, carignan, cinsaut & tinta blended as representative of Swartland. 2017 among finest yet, exhibits great freshness, tension & secure core of tightly knit, ripe tannins. Incipient wild herb & sweet fruit complexities are temptations worth the long wait this benchmark deserves. Year in barrel, just 5% new, further 12 months in foudre. Unfined/filtered, as all.’ - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2020, 4.5* (94/100)

‘Syrah-centred with satellites of 40% Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault, this is an "attempt to represent the whole Swartland", according to Paul Jordaan. All dry farmed, it's the best Columella I've ever tasted, with a lovely interplay between schist and granite soils, performing like two hands on a piano. Violets, fynbos and dry earth aromas segue into a palate that's focused, layered and subtle with bright, textured tannins and amazing minerality. 2022-35’ - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2019, 98/100

‘The nose is quite heady and yet entirely capitivating – pomegranate, olive, herbs, flowers, earth, liqourice, white pepper and other spice while the palate is super-rich with apparently sweet, dense fruit offset by lip-smacking acidity (lower than usual but certainly not insufficient) and very fine, powdery tannins (alcohol: 14.04%). It makes a massive impression and as with Palladius of the same vintage, you have the sense of some very deft winemaking under the trying circumstances.’ – Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 95/100 (Jul 2019)

2018:
'Still quite a deep crimson. Heady and rich. Dry finish but very complete. Very pure. So complex! A real long-distance runner that is really distinctive. There is nothing else quite like this wine in the whole wine world.' - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 18/20 (May 2022)

'Deep ruby at the core with a pale ruby edge, the 2018 Columella explodes from the glass with high-toned, dark red fruit aromas of black raspberry, dusty plum and dark cherry skin in the glass, with an alluring essence of dust-blown red flowers and a kiss of baking spices layered through the nose. Medium-bodied and bursting with flavor, the 13.5% alcohol wine shows impeccable balance, succulent acidity and lifting tannins, making way for a delightful mineral tension sensation across the mid-palate. The wine somersaults in the mouth, revealing new layers of black olive and dusty black cherry skin before concluding with a long, evolving finish marked by a dusty, red-berried essence that begs me back for more. This is a wine where, once you have a sip, you can’t help being seduced by its intoxicating aromas that will leave your head spinning. Another stunningly brilliant vintage of Columella. Bravo!' - Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate, 95/100 (Feb 2021)

2019:
'Impeccably balanced and gorgeously seductive on the nose, the 2019 Columella is a steadfast crowdpleaser with succulent red fruit tones that waft with elegance and fitness before flaunting bright red florals. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is stunningly impressive with nimble weightlessness across the mid-palate before showcasing power and finesse through layers of complexity. The wine somersaults to an epic finish that continues to linger in the mouth with persistence. Absolutely stunning!' - Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate, 96+/100 (Jun 2022)

'Really exciting nose dominated by savoury Syrah but given ballast, palate depth and fruit by the other varieties. So much more winning and more evolved than its famous white stablemate Palladius 2019! I'm going to drink this sweet-and-salty marvel this very night. Such tension, depth and length. Rich initially but then drawn by a fine purse-string to its conclusion. A wine to lose yourself in.... Real vibrancy through and through.' - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 18/20 (Dec 2021)

2020:
'"With 100 points, you can only go down," Eben Sadie laughed as we tasted this wine. The 2020 is just a whisper short of the perfection of the 2019 release, but it's still a stunning red and has beaten all comers in this year's report. A seamless blend that combines five soil types and 11 vineyards, it's Syrah-based with 60% Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Tinta Barocca, Carignan, Cinsault and Alicante Bouschet. What grace, texture, focus and persistence. This has fibre, sinew and muscularity, nuanced 10% new oak and plum, blackberry, damson and wild strawberry fruit. Sublime winemaking. 2024-40' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2022, 99/100

'From the first sniff, the 2020 Columella is an instant champion that is pointing and swinging for the fence. With its fresh frame of fruit and expertly layered oaky essences, the wine is incredibly complex as it bursts from the glass with precision and finesse. Medium-bodied and with 13.5% alcohol, the Columella somersaults into a phantasmagoria of bright crunchy red fruit flavors and seductive floral essences that makes my head spin. Collectors will take note and add a couple of bottles of this to their cellar. It’s an absolutely stellar bottling that will age gracefully for decades.' - Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate, 98/100 (Dec 2022)