2009 Columella

Healthy deep ruby-red. Deep, sappy aromas of black cherry, menthol and rose petal, plus a whiff of smoke I did not pick up in the 2008. Densely packed and fat; at once savory and seriously ripe, with the black cherry, berry and floral flavors communicating an impression of power. Wonderfully rich, deep wine with lovely definition, and more accessible today than the 2008. Incidentally, Sadie described 2009 as “the strongest vintage ever in Swartland, especially for white wines.” This was the first vintage that was made via what Sadie described as “our new way of aging,” in which the wine stays just 12 months in 10% new thick-walled (68 mm) foudres “that breathe ten times slower.” He also vinified with 20% whole clusters in 2009 for the first time “to preserve more fruit.” (Sadie makes his wines in “The Old Vine Series” entirely with whole clusters but has kept the percentage to about 20% for Columella.)

80% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre. Deep. Very subtle and deep. You really need time to see this potential. Not greedy prices considering the acclaim of the wines. Chew but deep artisanal balance. (JR)

The 2009 Columella is a blend of Syrah and Mourvedre that is basket pressed and matured over twelve months in 225-liter and a 45-hectoliter foudre. Having tasted this last year, I found the nose to be initially reticent, but it unfurls to reveal very fragrant strawberry, rose petal and orange blossom aromas that are very discrete. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins and it is certainly a less concentrated, muscular style of Columella than Eben Sadie produced in the past. It is feminine and refined with wonderful focus on the caressing finish. Drink now-2019+ You gotta love the eminence gris, the “Gandalf” of Swartland winemakers, Eben Sadie. Curiously, when I sat down with him at the Cape Show it was the first time we had met. He assured me that his samples had been safely despatched for my attention – the only problem being that he had sent them to the wrong side of the Atlantic. C’est la vie. Eben told me that he is withdrawing from his venture in Priorat so that he can focus entirely upon South Africa and that can only be a good thing for the country’s wine industry. Eben is a man full of principles and ideals that he is unafraid to see carried out in his wines, which in my opinion are aligning closer to his vision of what they should be with every vintage. Now let us move on to Eben’s Old Vine Series of wines. Let me make it clear that these very limited bottlings are as much an intellectual exercise as a sensory one. If you are seeking wines that mean something – then you should learn about them first, understand where Eben is coming from and then appreciate them for what they represent as much as how they taste. So my scores are in some ways irrelevant here. I just urge readers to understand them, try one out, make up their own mind, drop me a line and tell me what you think. And because they are so individual and I have only tasted the once or twice, I have refrained from drinking windows, but suggest that for the most part while they can be enjoyed young, they are also well worth cellaring. Importer: Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 931-1725 and Fields, Morris & Verdin in the UK