Sadie Family Columella 2019
The 2019 Columella is the 20th bottling of what can only be described as a discovery. This vintage has taken on many dimensions, interpretations and responses to the very terroir we farm for this wine.
Vineyards
Our viticultural reviews and implementations over a number of years are finally coming into play and are paying off in the resultant wines. Columella, as one of the signature wines, will always be at the spearhead of developments. Paardeberg (2 vineyards), Kasteelberg (4 vineyards), Malmesbury (1 vineyard), Piquetberg (1 vineyard)
Winemaking and Maturation
Hand sorting of individual berries of the entire production in small “strawberry” cases. Fermentation takes place spontaneously in 3300 litre open concrete fermenters for about three weeks at a temperature of 24 °C and is then followed by a post-fermentation maceration of another three weeks. No additions are made to the fermenting wine. Pressing takes place in a traditional basket press and the wine is transferred to the barrel (5% new) for malolactic fermentation.
The wine spends 12 months on the lees in tight-grain French oak barrels, just 5% of them new, and is then racked into big oval casks (foudres) for an additional year of maturation on the fine lees. After two years the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting Notes
The wine has taken on many dimensions and interpretations and responses to the terroir we farm for this wine. The 2019 vintage is as harmonious as any wine can hope to be at this stage of its life. The wine exhibits finely trimmed perfumes and violet notes, bright red fruit with spicy characteristics that immediately spill over into some of the most refined tannins we could capture at this point.
Technical Details
Composition: Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Tinta Barocca, Mourvedre
