Let's talk little, let's talk wine
Eben Sadie is considered one of the great visionaries of the new generation of South African winemakers. Renowned wine critic Neal Martin recently called Sadie “an outspoken, itinerant, terroir-obsessed winemaker who was instrumental in putting Swartland on the map.” It produces, quite possibly, the best wines in South Africa. He is also one of the country's most striking and charismatic personalities.
The Palladius cuvée is the result of a meticulous blend of 11 grape varieties , including Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier, Verdelho, Marsanne, Roussanne, Sémillon Gris, Sémillon Blanc and palomino. Carefully cultivated while respecting organic and sustainable agricultural practices, these varieties flourish in soils rich in granite, sandstone and gravel. The harvest, carried out by hand, precedes delicate pressing and vinification marked by spontaneous fermentation using native yeasts which takes place in amphorae and concrete eggs . The wine is aged for 2 years on fine lees in old French oak barrels, contributing to its complex and nuanced profile. When tasting, this wine is distinguished by an exceptional aromatic richness, with notes of citrus , lemongrass , quince , William pear , cooked apple , yellow peach , white flowers , honey , toasted almonds . and flint . On the palate, it is lively and perfectly balanced, displaying remarkable structure and concentration. The finish is long and appetizing.
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The little history of the country
South Africa
The first vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really begin to take off until the arrival of French Protestants, in the 1680s, with their skills and their knowledge of viticulture. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, with the first vineyards being planted there in the 1690s. Today South Africa is one of the most important wine producing countries in the southern hemisphere. With over 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. The majority of wines are produced using New World winemaking techniques, but they often have more in common stylistically with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has received international attention and acclaim for its wide variety of styles. South Africa's wine industry is spread across the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, the abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaus allows winemakers to produce a wide variety of styles. Vineyards can also be found in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, where the flat, arid landscape is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Most of South Africa's wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, strongly influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, an indigenous cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut that is rarely found in quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often combined in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.