Palladius

Pork, Game (deer, venison), Rich fish (salmon, tuna etc), Shellfish, Spicy food, Sweet desserts, Poultry, Lean fish, Mild and soft cheese, Fruity desserts.

Over the past 7 years Palladius has been the wine that grew 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. Currently of all our wines, the Palladius, with 17 vineyards, obviously represents the biggest canvas of the Swartland. Last year, we highlighted the coming-of-age journey of Palladius over the past 25 years.

The Palladius matures in these vessels for 12 months and is then racked off into big old foudres for an additional 12 months ageing prior to bottling. After two years the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The grapes are picked across a great many vineyards and taken into our cold room on arrival at the cellar. The next day the grapes are sorted and the whole bunches go into the press. The pressing lasts 2 - 3 hours and in that period a margin of settling of the juice takes place in the collecting tank. The turbid juice is then transferred to concrete eggs of 725 litres and 400 – 1200 litre clay amphoras for the next stage of natural fermentation. The fermentation temperatures in the clay amphorae and the concrete eggs are very constant and we only control the ambient temperature at around 18 degrees throughout the season. Each wine basically ferments in its own time – in some cases it may take up to 18 months - and every vineyard is fermented in the same vessel every year.

The Sadie Family strives for wines that are fresh flavorsome refined harmonious and balanced and aims to offer drinking pleasure at the highest level of quality at any stage of a wine's life: the wine-drinker's eagerness for a further glass is their measure of achievement! The Sadie's two wines Columella and Palladius originate in the soils in the Swartland region which stretches north of Cape Town between Durbanville and Piketberg inland from the Atlantic Ocean and centered on the town of Malmesbury. Importantly the area has a remarkably stable climate allowing a consistent level of quality each year in subtly different vintage conditions.