Sadie Family Palladius 2019

The 2018 Palladius is pale gold in color with an impressive meniscus that clings to the glass. The nose is youthful with a significant underlying mineral essence beneath aromas of waxy citrus blossom, Meyer lemon pith, raw honeycomb, wax melon and yellow apple skin. Medium-bodied, the 13.5% alcohol wine is majestic on the palate, displaying a tightly wound mineral tension, a waxy and textural mouthfeel and a kiss of phenolic bitterness to make this absolutely food-friendly and age-worthy. The wine continues to unfold and evolve on the palate, offering complex terroir expressions. Concluding with a long, drawn-out and persistent finish, flavors of dusty citrus linger for more than a minute. There’s no wonder why these wines are so highly allocated and sought after. I just had a daydream about how tertiary and nutty this bottle will be in 15 years. Simply stunning! Wow.

The 2018 Palladius is a blend of 12 grape varieties, whole-cluster-pressed and matured in clay and concrete amphorae. Only Eben Sadie can take a gallimaufry of grape varieties and create a wine of this caliber. It has a clean, pure bouquet of wax resin, pine needles, greengage plum and light chamomile scents that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is bright and vivacious on the entry and displays a wonderful waxy texture; peach skin, hazelnut and saline notes appear toward the finish. It's all about the umami.

Impressively graceful, moving confidently across the palate. The firm but well-integrated acidity links notes of blanched almond, white raspberry, clementine, elderflower and cardamom. Nearly seamless, but this should develop further and show even more in a few years. Best from 2022 through 2036.

Eben Sadie rates this white blend as the best of his current releases. Made with ten different cultivars and dipping below 14% alcohol for the first time, it’s an orchestra rather than a solo instrument. Elegant and refined, with no wood at all, this is an harmonious cuvée with beeswax, tarte tatin, orange zest and pear flavours. 2019-24.

This inspired wine is the product of 10 different varieties grown on three main soil types in the Paardeberg: granite, gravel & sandstone. The grapes are pressed and run off into clay amphorae & concrete eggs, where they are vinified and then aged for 12 months. The wine then spends another 12 months in old oak foudres. It creates a savoury, pithy, waxy and saline blend, with vibrant acidity and great balance. There's some textural grip to the green apple, honey and pink grapefruit palate. A beautiful wine, a blend of Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Colombar, Palomino, Semillon, Roussanne, Verdelho, Clairette Blanche and Viognier.

Honeyed, creamy nose that gives the impression of satin-smooth texture somehow. A totally flattering and intriguing wine that is clean as a whistle and would stand up to any fine white wine.