Critics Ratings

2005 - 'Usual stringent quality measures taken to extreme in 2005, resulting in ‘controlled power and freshness, a paradox for the vintage’. Darkly ripe fruit, perfumed nutmeg spice and supple, savoury tannins beautifully integrated into textured sensation. Shiraz with 20% Mourvèdre. 2 years in French oak.’ - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2008, 4.5*

‘Offers a stunning array of blue and black fruit - blackberry, boysenberry, blueberry and currant - that is pure, driven and refined, with licorice, sweet spice, vanilla, mineral and sanguine notes flittering throughout. Despite its concentration, this is remarkably elegant, with superb length and a seamless finish. Welcome to the majors, South Africa. Syrah and Mourvèdre.’ - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, 95/100 (Aug 2007)

‘Two years in small oak. Dark rusty red colour with lots of shading at the pale rim. Very warm, rich, briary cocktail on the nose with some prunes and dark chocolate. Fragrant almost floral but sweet and a bit pruney on the palate. Eben describes this as southern Rhône compared with the more northern Rhône style of the 2012.’ - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17/20 (Jan 2015)

‘This has a terrific array of fruit--blueberry, raspberry and boysenberry--that's seamlessly put together with mocha, sweet toast and a tangy iron note. Then it all takes an encore on the lengthy finish. A very impressive display of fruit and minerality together. Syrah and Mourvèdre.’ - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, 92/100 (Aug 2007)

‘Very dense and warm minerals on the nose. Sweet and lively now but heaviness lurks beneath. 2004 was a relatively cool vintage. Fruit is still more primary.’ - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 16.5/20 (Apr 2014)

2006 - Dark and alluring, with currant paste, fig sauce and dark plum notes that glide over rich but fine-grained tannins. Hints of mesquite, melted licorice and bittersweet ganache fill out the finish. Has plenty of length and concentration. This should fill out with moderate cellaring. Syrah and Mourvèdre.' - Wine Spectator 94/100

‘Watermark quality: each berry selected, long cool ferment/extended maceration, basket press, 2 years French oak, 60% new. ‘06 is a triumph; fabulous layered textures, lancing allspice tension in ever-evolving harmony. Shiraz and 20% Mourvèdre.’ - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2009, 4.5*

‘Highly perfumed nose with time in the glass. Dry and such amazing finesse. Very finely textured like strong paper. Beautiful. Dark and subtle. Really light handed and yet long. Mineral, earthy, dry, savoury integrity. It is dense, but not heavy, oak swallowed by the quality of the fruit.’ - Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, 18/20 (May 2009)

2007 -‘Always Shiraz with 20% Mourvèdre, respectfully and traditionally vinified, including berry selection, long cool fermentation and maceration, basket pressed; 2 years in French oak, new component down to only 35% for 2007. Brilliant, sensual, showing gravel-tinged fruit and perfect harmony.’ - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2010, 5*

‘Captivating with a stunning array of loganberry, raspberry, blackberry and boysenberry fruit, all kept racy and invigorating thanks to well-embedded acidity and a bright minerality. Long, velvety and pure, with the iron spine buried deep on the finish. Syrah and Mourvèdre.’ - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, 95/100 (Mar 2010)

2008 - 'The 2008 Columella is a Shiraz based blend with a little Mourvedre grown on mainly granite soils and aged for two years in barrels. It has a very distinct bouquet with vibrant, well defined, wild dark berried fruit intermingling with subtle aromas of dark plum, blackberry leaf and a touch of cassis all with great precision. The palate is medium-bodied with fine but sturdy tannins, supremely well balanced with superb acidity and expression, finishing with great mineralite on the finish that has slight blur of alcohol' - RobertParker.com 92/100

2009 - Mainly shiraz, with mourvédre & grenache, which Eben Sadie believes best match the Swartland. That’s what 09 shows: ripe dark fruit & scrub, savoury spice interwoven through the perfume, flavours, & not least, supple tannins. Nothing showy, just perfect harmony. – Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2012, 5* 

Dense and very refined, with mouthwatering cut to the damson plum, red currant, cherry and black currant fruit, underscored by a blaze of iron. Long and taut through the finish, offering flecks of spice, bergamot and rooibos tea before the backdrop of roasted apple wood takes over. This needs a little more time in the cellar to round into form. Best from 2014 through 2020. 830 cases made – Wine Spectator 94/100 (2013)

‘The 2009 Columella is a blend of Syrah and Mourvedre that is basket pressed and matured over twelve months in 225-liter and a 45-hectoliter foudre. Having tasted this last year, I found the nose to be initially reticent, but it unfurls to reveal very fragrant strawberry, rose petal and orange blossom aromas that are very discrete. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins and it is certainly a less concentrated, muscular style of Columella than Eben Sadie produced in the past. It is feminine and refined with wonderful focus on the caressing finish. Drink now-2019+’ – Neal Martin 93/100 Wine Advocate (2012)

80% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre. Deep. Very subtle and deep. You really need time to see this potential. Not greedy prices considering the acclaim of the wines. Chew but deep artisanal balance.’– Jancis Robinson 18/20 (2013)

2010 - Shiraz-led with mourvédre & grenache. Crammed with luscious berries, 10 tannins provide sleek musculature, but seamed throughout are violets, scrub, graphite, complex notes setting this wine apart. – Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2013, 5*

Good dark red. Knockout nose combines blueberry, mulberry, smoky raspberry, Asian spices, flinty minerality, coffee, leather and dusty herbs; showed an increasingly pinot-like perfume as it opened in the glass. Wonderfully aromatic in the mouth, with superb energy and lift to the juicy red berry, spice, floral and mineral flavors. Not a hugely fleshy wine but in vibrancy, complexity and inner-mouth perfume it transcends its category. Finishes with firm tannins and a whiplash of flavor. I'd like to taste this wine again in five or six years. – Stephen Tanzer 94/100, Vinous.com (2013)

The 2010 Columella saw just 10% of the crop aged in new large casks. The nose is well-defined and as nonchalant as Eben Sadie himself, gently unravelling blackberry, charcoal, eau-de-vie and allspice scents that are perfectly controlled. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, slightly grainy tannins. It is extremely well-balanced with supremely well-judged acidity. I much prefer this toned-down style of late, allowing the grape varieties and terroir to be articulated without interruption. Gorgeous! Drink 2014-2022 – Neal Martin 93/100, Wine Advocate (2013)

A layered style, with red and black currant, plum and blackberry fruit stretched over a sinewy structure and inlaid with singed cedar and mesquite notes that linger on the long, stony finish... 850 cases made. – Wine Spectator 93/100 (2013)

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