2020 - Columella, The Sadie Family, Swartland

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.

The 2020 Columella was made on the cusp of what might be termed the "third era" of Eben Sadie's winemaking. It is obviously in its opening chapters and requires further bottle age. Still, it delivers intense black plummy fruit laced with Earl Grey and Montecristo aromas. The palate is framed by those fluid, finely chiselled tannins, with a harmonious finish that is deceptively concentrated, and that pinch of white pepper pops up on the aftertaste. Outstanding. Tasted at home from a bottle purchased in London.