2020 Sadie Family Swartland Columella

First released in 2000, Columella is Sadie’s most famous wine. While it is regularly described as an icon wine of Swartland—and indeed South Africa—Eben Sadie’s goal is simply to produce the best and most honest expression he can from Swartland as a whole. As such the blend includes six of the seven official black grape varieties that grow within the region, sourced from a range of soil types. The 2018 is a smidge less than 50% Syrah, with the remainder coming from Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan, Tinta Barocca and Cinsault.
The fruit is sourced from both Sadie Family vineyards and rented parcels. This release was grown on seven different soil types (including granite, slate, gravel and sandstone) across nine separate vineyards in Paardeberg, Kasteelberg, Malmesbury and Piquetberg. The majority of the vineyards are low-yielding, old-vine parcels, though some of the Estate’s younger material also plays its part. Many of the Syrah vines have been trained to their own pole, echelas style, as per the Northern Rhône. In terms of the winemaking, most of the fruit is destemmed, although each year an increasing percentage of the fruit is whole-bunch. Sadie has a sorting team of 25 who discard between eight and 15% of the berries each year. The sorted grapes then go into a huge open fermenter (with an average of three weeks on skins) before being basket-pressed into mostly old, French oak barrels, (less than 10% new). Following a year on lees the wine is racked into seasoned oval casks (foudres) for a further maturation on the fine lees. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration.

Other Reviews....
Overall Red Wine of the Year.
"With 100 points, you can only go down," Eben Sadie laughed as we tasted this wine. The 2020 is just a whisper short of the perfection of the 2019 release, but it's still a stunning red and has beaten all comers in this year's report. A seamless blend that combines five soil types and 11 vineyards, it's Syrah-based with 60% Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Tinta Barocca, Carignan, Cinsault and Alicante Bouschet. What grace, texture, focus and persistence. This has fibre, sinew and muscularity, nuanced 10% new oak and plum, blackberry, damson and wild strawberry fruit. Sublime winemaking. Drink 2024-2040.
99 points
Tim Atkin MW - South Africa Report 2022

The 2020 Columella is matured for 12 months in regular barriques with 10% new oak and 12 months in foudres. Dark berry fruit, black tea and light tobacco scents, this is finely tuned and focused, just pure class. You cannot ignore the pedigree here. The palate is beautifully balanced with pliant tannins, very sensual and silky smooth in texture, hints of white pepper and thyme developing in the glass. Dry and very focused on the finish. This constitutes one of the finest Columella's that I have tasted.
95 points
Neal Martin - Vinous