The Sadie Family - 'Palladius' White 2014

Vineyards: Paardeberg Granite (13 vineyards), Sandstone (4 vineyards). Yield of 18–22 hl/ha

Soils: (Various) Granite, Gravel & Sandstone formations

Vinification: Hand sorted individual berries in small cases.  Grapes are pressed in a traditional basket press & the juice run off directly to clay amphora, concrete eggs & old oak foudres.  

Aging: Matures for 24 months in these vessels. Fermentation is spontaneous, and no additives are used. The wine finishes fermentation in its own time, which may take up to 20 months.  After two years the wine is bottled, unrefined and unfiltered.  The final blend is only made up days before bottling.

Notes: 2014 was a beauty in regards to the rare equilibrium between the ripeness and acidity of the fruit. The first juices fermenting in the cellar showed that the acidity was very well defined, so we could afford to wait to pick varietals that ripen later. A heavy rain was forecasted at the end of the season. The last vineyard was picked literally the day after the rain, before the water could be absorbed by the fruit. The final wine has an amazing zesty lime green aroma. This green freshness transcends to a riper, more tropical apricot & roasted almond character with loads of fruit. A very complex & compact wine with huge concentration and freshness.  For the first time we introduced a small parcel of the historic Colombard grape of the Cape for added acidity and freshness. This parcel came in with a mere 11% alcohol. The result is a wine that we firmly believe will age incredibly well.

GRAPES: Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier, Verdelho, Roussanne, Marsanne, Semillon Gris, Semillon Blanc, Palomino and Colombard
ALCOHOL: 14.1%
PH: 3.16
TOTAL ACIDITY: 6.4 g/l
TOTAL SULPHUR: 80 mg/l
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 2.5 g/l