Rhône theme
Timed Online Auction, 30 January - 10 February 2025
Rhône - South Africa
About the SessionOver the past decade South African Rhône-style offerings have witnessed an explosion in popularity, led by the Swartland in the 2010s and subsequently spreading across the Cape.
ZAR 9 000
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, leading to being voted Winemaker of the Year in 2017 by the International Master of Wine Institute and the glamorous Golden Vines Global Rising Star Award three times in a row. 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.
Wine produced from 100% Cinsault from the Riebeek Mountain. It gets its name from the serpentine shape of the mountain and forms part of Sadie’s Old Vine Series (Ouwingerdreeks), South Africa’s most sought-after wines.
Provenance
Wine Cellar Private Client
Critics Ratings
‘Exceptional clarity of hue, red fruit & purpose in 2016 from old Riebeek-Kasteel cinsaut vineyard courtesy year in neutral foudre. Disarmingly dry (1.9 g/l), tad leaner than usual yet with great persistence & presence, delicate grip for few years ageing. 2014 (4.5 stars, 93 pts) was the last we tasted.’ - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2018, 5* (95/100)
‘Perfumed bouquet with strawberry and cherry, spice and white pepper. Medium-bodied with linear, tense and thrilling acidity, textured tannins and a lovely earthy minerality behind. Finishes long, pure and crackling with life.’ – Alistair Cooper MW, Decanter.com, 94/100 (Jul 2018)
‘This brims with delightful red and black cherry fruit allied to a silky structure and backed by light blood orange and mineral notes. Reveals a flash of shiso leaf through the finish. Lovely purity. Cinsault. Drink now through 2020.’ – James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, 92/100 (Feb 2018)
‘The nose shows a particular poached pear quality as well as black cherry with notes of lavender, earth and spice in the background. On the palate, lovely fruit concentration, lemon-like acidity and fine tannins. The finish meanwhile is long and dry in a way rarely achieved in South Africa – grippy but not astringent making the wine extraordinarily food-friendly and very more-ish. Benchmark stuff.’ – Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 94/100 (Aug 2017)
‘Described as “the most challenging wine we work with” by Eben Sadie, this pure Cinsaut is light, scented and charming, with notes of rose petal and candy floss, summer berry flavours and a crunchy, taut, pomegranate-like finish. The challenge was worth the effort. 2018-24’ - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2017, 94/100
Other lots that might interest you
