2008 Palladius
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Tasting notes
Palladius was the Roman author who continued Columella’s work, so a fitting name for the white wine that Sadie said he would never make. The grapes come from five vineyards in the Paardeberg mountains, all on sloping sites, 70% bushvines, all unirrigated. A blend of Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Viognier and Chardonnay. 22 barrels made, unfiltered, unfined. Intense, perfumed with peaches and pear, and then a wonderfully creamy white-almond nuttiness. So very creamy, yet with a lemon tang and soft wild sage to lift and sharpen. Luscious, tactile and tense. Long and pure. (TC)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Tamlyn Currin, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Medium gold. Nutty oak, orange blossom, leesy hazelnut and wet stone on the nose; showing less primary fruit and more earth tones than the 2009. Then supple, broad and rich in the mouth, with a slight sweetness to the glyceral flavors of honeycomb, sweet butter and spices. A bit more phenolic than the young 2009 and quite different in style. This would make a nice match for a mushroom risotto. This fascinating wine actually lightened in color rather dramatically and showed fresher apricot fruit and more lift with extended aeration.
A Platter five-star wine. RS 2 g/l Full, lively and tangy with almost bitter-lemon-like zing. Seems packed with the scent of wild flowers. Racy yet rich. Still quite youthful. Should develop into something pretty exciting. (JR)
About the producer
Since he started making wine under his own name in 2000, Eben Sadie became a cult name in South Africa. The Swartland producer is best known for his flagship Columella and Palladius, but he also makes a range of whites and reds under the Old Vine Series, which became the District Series in 2025.
Product details
Chenin Blanc/Steen, Garnacha Blanca/Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Semillon, Palomino, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Verdelho/Gouveio/Verdello, Colombard
White
Dry