Palladius 2014

By , 5 September 2016

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2

Palladius 2014

Letting it all hang out.

Eben Sadie’s signature series multi-variety white blend has always been a studied effort but the 2014 feels particularly so. On the nose, a hint of reduction before lemon, orange and white peach, some leesy complexity and a hint of spice. The palate is rich and slightly oily in texture – plenty of sun-kissed, ripe fruit upfront before a pithy finish. It makes a big impression but arguably lacks some of the finesse of previous vintages. Wine Cellar price: R575 a bottle.

#WinemagRating: 93/100.

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    James | 5 September 2016

    Christian, I believe Eben Sadie’s view is that the Cape is best suited to blended wines. Your reviews of his current releases suggest that that might not necessarily hold true.

    Granted it’s only one vintage and there’s probably a discussion to be had around the role played by older vines but I’d be interested in your views. Is there a clear trend either way? I’m referring to our top end wines as opposed to the lower end of the market which will probably always be dominated by blends

      Christian | 5 September 2016

      Hi James, Sadie used to argue that the Cape is generally more Mediterranean than continental – grapes ripen optimally but don’t deliver sufficient structure and complexity on their own and hence why local producers ought to blend. Now that we are a little further into the modern SA era, I think we are starting to realise just how extremely diverse the winelands are in terms of soil, aspect and micro-climate, the upshot being that there are different sites suitable for different varieties – some stand-alone (like Chardonnay from Elgin or the Hemel-en-Aarde wards) and some in blends (like the white blends of the Swartland). In the case of Palladius relative to the breath-taking current-release Old Vine Series wines, my feeling is that we are seeing the effect of vintage as much as anything, the former being from 2014 and the latter from 2015.

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