
Eben Sadie : winery profile by Richard Kelley MW It is fitting that Eben ' surfer-philosopher ' Sadie should name his wine after Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella , author of ' De Rustica ' ( ' On Country Matters ' ) , the most comprehensive account of Roman viticulture that dates back two millennia . The wine itself comes from seven different , unirrigated , fully controlled leased parcels across 52km of the Swartland . The area has a remarkably stable climate , allowing for consistent quality albeit with vintage variation . The distinction of Columella is derived from its terroir , the character of the vintage and a very hands off winemaking approach ( more time for surfing , or jetting off to Spain to prune vineyards , or to rack wine in his Priorato venture ) . Columella is primarily Syrah with 10 % Mourvèdre ( in 2000 ) . Five of the seven parcels are planted with bushvines and each site reflects a different soil profile , encompassing slate ( at Porcelain Mountain ) , coffee stone , an iron rich soil ( Rheeboksfontein ) , and granite ( Aprilskloof ) . To say selection is rigorous is an understatement . The vines are pruned to allow for around 25 hl/ha so as to encourage full phenolic maturity . Picking takes place in the early morning into 15kg lug boxes and refrigerated down to 5 degrees C for 24 hours , when a team of 20 women painstakingly select , often grape by grape , into a final selection bin . These are destemmed and about 50 % are crushed and allowed to cold soak for two to four days . All parcels are vinified separately . Fermentation takes place in open wooden vats with native yeasts using traditional pigeage . Post fermentation maceration lasts up to three weeks , depending on the vineyard . The grapes are pressed in a tiny basket press and transferred ( with buckets ) into oak barrels , not all of them new , where malolactic takes place and the wine is racked through a primitive system relying solely on gravity . After blending at about eight months , Eben allows for 24 months in barrel before bottling unfined and unfiltered . Just over 5,000 bottles were produced of the 2000 vintage , and in 2001 , the extremely low crop yielded just 15hl/ha . In South Africa , these are highly sought after wines , aided by a five star rating for the 2000 in the John Platter Guide . With the retail price the equivalent of £ 35 a bottle in one Cape Town wine shop , at around £ 26.00 in England , there is an obvious opportunity to re-export what little 2000 we still have available . With 2002 , we see the introduction of a white partner , Palladius , the successor to Columella . This wine is a revelation , tasting nothing like any other wine made in the southern hemisphere - Eben 's inspiration here being the white produced at Clos Mogador . It is a blend of Viognier , Chardonnay , Chenin Blanc and ( uncertified ) Grenache Blanc . The Viognier component was fermented as red wine ; on both skins and stalks , which explains the tannic edge . The Chenin is from 45 year old bush vines and the Chardonnay from 25 year old vines , making them some of the oldest in the Cape ( in 1981 there were only 19ha planted in the whole of SA ) . The wine took a year to complete fermentation , being in older wood for 16 months . Only eight barrels were made . The wine 's individuality has made it a challenge for a South African palate bought up on crisp , clean Sauvignon or over-wooded Chardonnay ; however we believe it will be Palladius that finally gives Eben the international recognition he deserves .