2023 Sadie Family Swartland Palladius
2023 Sadie Family Swartland Palladius
2023 Sadie Family Swartland Palladius2023 Sadie Family Swartland Palladius

2023 Sadie Family Swartland Palladius

98 pts
Sadie Family Wines |Swartland |Chenin Blanc
A complex 14-varietal blend that captures the full breadth of the Swartland and Eben Sadie’s vision of capturing the region’s diverse terroir.
Price:
$349.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
Rendering loop-subscriptions

Description

Palladius is essentially Eben Sadie's attempt to bottle the entire Swartland region in white form. It is a massive blend of 14 different varieties sourced from 17 specific sites, ranging from old-vine Chenin Blanc (the backbone) to Mediterranean staples like Marsanne and Verdelho.

The big news for the 2023 release is the inclusion of Grillo and Assyrtiko for the first time, sourced from a coastal limestone vineyard at St Helena Bay. Eben added them to bring a bit more nerve and minerality to the mix. The winemaking is patient - the fruit goes into clay amphorae and concrete eggs before spending a solid 24 months ageing in large wooden foudres.

It is a wine of serious texture and layers. You get an initial honeyed richness and creamy weight, but it is cut through with notes of lemon curd, pear and wild thyme. The finish is distinctly salty and structured, likely thanks to that new coastal fruit. It is fresher and more focused than previous years, but still has that power to age for a decade.

One of South Africa's most prestigious and sought-after white wines, this is a masterclass in blending from Eben Sadie.

98 points
"Fresher and more focused than it used to be, with less stone fruit sweetness, this is one of the best young releases I've tasted, but will age very well too."
- Tim Atkin MW (South Africa Special Report 2025)

Tim Atkin MW

Tim Atkin MW

South Africa Special Report 2025 98 Points

Palladius now includes 14 different varieties, with the addition of 6% Assyrtiko to the blend in 2023. Fresher and more focused than it used to be, with less stone fruit sweetness, this is one of the best young releases I've tasted, but will age very well too. Pear, citrus and apricot flavours are underpinned by pithy acidity, with a salty undertone, subtle wood and a tapering finish. 2027-35.

James Suckling

James Suckling

James Suckling 97 Points

“Very fresh and exciting, showing lemon curd, wild thyme, white pepper, sliced apple, pear, clove and crushed stone aromas. It’s layered and creamy, complex, with a full body and wonderful freshness brought by mineral and very subtle herbal undertones. Long, salty and structured.” 97 points,

Swartland. Palladius is a blend of 14 white varieties, with old bush-vine Chenin Blanc playing a principal role. Like the Columella red, the idea is to produce a great white that represents the overall terroir of Swartland. As a result, it is harvested from 17-odd sites, taking in Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier, Verdelho, Roussanne, Marsanne, Semillon Blanc, Palomino and Colombard, as well as the hyper-rare Semillon Gris (which plays a starring role in Sadie’s Kokerboom and ’T Voetpad cuvées). Scattered throughout Swartland, most of the vineyards are rooted in decomposed Paardeberg granite (although four parcels lie on sandstone), and most qualify for old-vine status (35-plus-years), with the oldest planted in 1935. The younger-vine fruit comes from Sadie’s own plantings, though even here, the yields max out at 30 hl/ha. For the first time, the 2024 includes Grillo and Assyrtiko from Sadie’s coastal limestone vineyard at St Helena Bay. Sadie sees this competent adding even more freshness and minerality.

The fruit was sorted and pressed in a traditional, vertical press directly into clay amphora and concrete eggs (725 litres). The wine then went to large wooden foudres for maturation. The entire aging cycle was 24 months, after which it was bottled without fining or filtration.

Throughout the season, Sadie’s primary goal was, in his own words, “to try and get the maximum volume of compact fruit and texture together with the best potential volume of acidity and freshness.” He has unquestionably achieved that here, with the extra breadth, power and texture setting Palladius apart from his District Series whites. Eben continues: “Over the past five years, Palladius has been the wine that gained the most in quality and refinement, and much of this has to do with the addition of more vineyards and the improvement of their viticulture.” It’s a white of vast complexity; the kind you can sit with for hours.

Price Bracket $101 and Above
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chenin Blanc
Country South Africa
Region Swartland
Feature High Score
Iconic
Cult
Reviewed By Tim Atkin MW
James Suckling
Vinous
Critic Score 98
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Cork

Sadie Family Wines

One of the tearaway producers of the revitalised Swartland wine scene, Sadie Family Wines has had an astronomical rise to fame on the international stage.

Owner and winemaker, Eben Sadie, first found acclaim under the banner of Terroir Al Limit where he was a co-founder alongside Dominik Huber. In the same way that Terroir Al Limit helped redefine what wine could taste like from Priorat in Spain, Sadie handles his family wines and vines with that same ruthless attention to detail.

These wines perfectly articulate a sense of place. Sadie's transparency in winemaking and obsessive farming practices reveal intense, tightly-wound wines with distinct personality. These are now some of South Africa's most keenly sought-after artisan wines. Worldwide allocations are minuscule and hotly contested. As little as a handful of bottles make it to Australia each year. Secure these rare birds while you can.

Eben Sadie in the vineyard Sadie Family Wines

Others also liked

Recently viewed

Common Questions

Delivery is free on orders of $150 or more.

For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.

We will dispatch your order the same or next business day.

Estimated delivery transit time varies depending on your location. Please review this page for specific estimates.

No sorry we do not have a store front and pickup is not available.

Yes, no problem. When placing your order select ‘Store at Different Drop and Delivery Later’ as your shipping method or reply to the order confirmation email after placing your order with additional instructions.

We stock three different sized gift boxes (single, three bottle and six), all are available for purchase for a flat rate of $8. They look great and make an awesome impression.

To add a gift box to your order, simply add at checkout. The special requests box is your friend, please give us as many details of what you are looking for and we will try our best, or get in contact to discuss it with you. 

If you want to bulk order gifts or if you have any trouble please email hello@differentdrop.com or call and we can try and help.

 

Our warehouse is automated so unless you tell us otherwise, we will ship your order. If you would like us to hold your order please reply to the order confirmation email after placing your order and we are happy to store your order for up to 6 months at no charge. You can review our heat policy here.

Yes, of course. We want Different Drop customers to always be getting the best price. You can see our price match policy here.

No, feel free to mix it up! There is no minimum requirement. You can order wines in any quantity or combination, 1 or 50+ bottles.

No, all prices are set at the full discounted dozen rate already.

If you can't add more wine to your cart it means we are low on stock of that wine. For example, if you are only able to 3 bottles and no more that means we only have 3 bottles left of that wine. If it's a must have, please contact us and we may be able to order more in for you.

Need a hand?

We’d love to help you out! Most questions can be sorted quickly through our Help Centre or by dropping us a line on chat or email. If it’s something urgent or you just really want to have a yarn about wine, food, or even the meaning of life, give us a call — we’re here for you.

Regular Enquiries

hello@differentdrop.com

Urgent Enquiries

02 8376 8775