Description

Palladius est le joyau de la couronne blanche d’Eben Sadie, un vin mythique qui incarne l’âme indomptable du Swartland. Élaboré à partir d’un assemblage complexe de 11 cépages issus de vieux vignobles — dont certains ont jusqu’à 85 ans — sur des sols de granit et de grès, ce blanc s’éloigne de toute standardisation. Sa fermentation spontanée en amphores et en cuves en béton, suivie d’une Rouge crianza respectueuse, offre une expérience sensorielle profonde. Un vin vibrant, minéral et d’une production extrêmement limitée, conçu pour ceux qui recherchent l’expression la plus pure et la plus honnête du nouveau Cap.

Fiche technique

Le domaine
The Sadie Family Wines
Type de vin
Blanc
Millésime
2022
Alcool
13.5% vol.
Cépage
Chenin blanc, Grenache blanc, Clairette blanche, Viognier, Verdelho, Roussanne, Marsanne, Semillon gris, Semillon blanc, Palomino, Colombard
Origine
Swartland
Certifications
EU Organic Bio

L'avis des experts

The Wine Advocate:

 

I am a white wine fanatic, and this very special wine blew me away. The Sadie Family's 2022 Swartland Palladius is a blend of 11 grapes from 17 distinct vineyard sites with old vines. The grapes used are Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier, Verdelho, Roussanne, Marsanne, Semillon Gris, Sémillon, Palomino and Colombard. The various vineyards are located in Paardeberg, Piketberg and Saint Helena Bay. "This is the most complex wine and difficult to make," says Eben Sadie. "A white wine needs to achieve more than a red."

James Suckling:

This is an impressively layered and complex white, the result of a blend of 11 varietals from 17 vineyards across the Swartland. Aromas of jack fruit, sliced pear, green papaya, flint, grapefruit and hazelnut are all in play, followed by a full-bodied palate with a caressing and supple texture. Seamless, evolving to spices after a while. Even better than 2021? A blend of chenin blanc, grenache blanc, clairette blanche, viognier, verdelho, roussanne, marsanne, semillon gris, semillon blanc, palomino and colombard, all vinified separately. Try after 2025.

Decanter:

Waxy and slightly closed initially with a touch of lime pith, this slowly opens out into ripe pear, green peach, pomelo and sesame seed. There’s a discreet, almost covert acidity woven into the core, which bodes well for its long-term evolution, and the finish is long and mouthcoating. As Eben Sadie himself admits, Palladius has been his most difficult wine to figure out, but the contribution of dry-farmed viticulture adopted following the droughts, and the contribution of drought-resistant, next-generation varieties have helped enormously. This comprises fruit from 24 vineyards, embracing 11 different varieties and is based on Chenin Blanc, with Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier, Verdelho, Roussanne, Marsanne, Semillon Gris, Semillon Blanc, Palomino and Colombard. Of all Sadie’s wines, Palladius is the most introverted and needs cellar time and plenty of air. It ferments with natural yeasts in concrete and, after one year, goes into old foudres for another 12 months.