Sadie Family Columella 2006
Vineyards
Swartland, Western Cape
Winemaking and Maturation
Hand sorting each berry for the entire production in small “strawberry” cases. Fermentation in 2000 litre open wooden fermenters. Fermentation is about three weeks at a temperature of 24 °C, followed by maceration after fermentation for another three weeks. Pressing occurs in an old basket press, and the wine is transferred directly to the barrel for malolactic fermentation.
Oaking: French oak barrels, Bordeaux Traditional selection. Tight grain. The wine ages for 18 months on the lees, followed by a rack and an additional six months of ageing on the fine lees. The total time spent is two years.
Tasting Notes
“2006 – This vintage was quite calm and collected as a measure. We did not experience any of the normal drought or extreme heat conditions. Everything passed by in the most normal of Swartland conditions. It is a very classic vintage for the region. We started to pick, and most vineyards ripen in perfectly calculated order, and the harvest just came in very controlled. For us, the 2006 vintage resulted in a wine that was a great classic expression of the region. The fruit spectrum is darker than normal, with more of the riper black fruit definition on the wine. The unique parameter of this vintage is the better-defined silky tannins and possibly an even denser inner core. Aromatically, it shows a bit more in the darker spectrum than 2005, which had a more purple edge to it of spicey herbal flavours, which in 2006 is rather more a blackberry cassis aspect and dark olive of nature, the structural density of this vintage follows through in the long finish of the wine.” – Eben Sadie
Technical Details
Composition: Syrah (80%), Mourvedre (20%)
