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Sadie’s signature white, Palladius, is a blend of all eleven of Swartland’s official white varieties, with old, bush-vine Chenin Blanc playing the principal role. Like the Columella red, the idea is to produce a great white that represents the overall terroir of Swartland, and so to try to use all the permitted varieties. As a result, this is harvested from 17 separate sites, with the full list of grapes taking in Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier, Verdelho, Roussanne, Marsanne, Semillon Blanc, Palomino and Colombard, as well as the hyper-rare Semillon Gris (which plays a key role in Sadie’s Kokerboom and ’T Voetpad cuvées).
Scattered throughout the Swartland, most of the vineyards are rooted in decomposed Paardeberg granite (although four parcels lie on sandstone) and most qualify for old-vine status (35 years plus) with the oldest vines planted in 1935. The younger-vine fruit comes from Sadie’s own plantings, though even here the yields max out at 22 hl/ha.
As for the winemaking, the fruit was sorted and pressed in a traditional, vertical press, directly into clay amphoras and concrete eggs (725 litres). The wine finished fermenting in its own time, after which it went to large wooden foudre to finish its maturation. The full aging cycle is now 24 months. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Throughout the season, Sadie’s major goal is, in his own words, “...to try and get the maximum volume of compact fruit and texture together with the best potential volume of acidity and freshness.” That’s something he has unquestionably achieved here, with the extra breadth, power and texture setting Palladius apart from his Old Vine Series whites. Unlike those wines, Palladius relies less on acidity, harnessing a deep, phenolic freshness that frames the wine. Sadie continues, “Over the past five years Palladius has been the wine that gained the most in quality and refinement and much of this has to do with the addition of more vineyards and the improvement of their viticulture.” It’s a white of vast complexity; the kind of wine you can sit on for hours. The 2020 is a magical release and Eben’s tasting note captures it beautifully. It’s deep, powerful and complex yes, but with a finesse, freshness and balance that makes it a joy to drink.