2005 Sadie Family Columella

Community Tasting Notes (18) Avg Score: 92.8 points

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  4/22/2024 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Served blind: easy to call the best northern Rhone: so
  Much barnyard and classic old world flavours, would not have thought South African. A dead ringer for the best hermitage. From YH at Kingyu

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  6/3/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:

  Gareth's N Rhone vs SA Syrah; 6/3/2023-6/4/2023 (La Cabotte): My third and best tasting of columella, and my wotn. Popped and poured (and I think that a double decant would have made this even better)- someone said "charred oak" and I get it, some menthol but lovely acid, youthful, like being punched in the head with a thick fur glove. Hype justified.

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  6/1/2023 - NickA Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Syrah Battle: Northern Rhone vs South Africa (Cabotte): Popped and poured, but immediately impressive. Rather heady, plummy nose (the 14% ABV showing somewhat), with the scent of dark, meaty Bovril and some stylish oak; it was obvious that this was the New World member of the flight, and it reminded many of us of an Australian style of wine. Pretty glorious on the youthful, fruit-forward palate, with some tapenade that modulated wonderfully into a superb, very persistent blackcurranty finish. Going back to this wine after drinking the next few did emphasise the wine's thickness and ripeness (and, presumably, the 20% Mourvedre), but it was undeniably delicious, excellent with the food, and a deserved #2 in the group vote.

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  1/19/2020 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Columella complete Vertical Tasting (Fritz Frau Frazi Düsseldorf): First of all it was an amazing tasting. No bottle was corked or defective. We double decanted all bottles. We drank one bottle after one. No flights. We started with the bold years (2000-2009) but they were so good that I changed the order after 6 vintages and I mixed the elegant years (2010-2017) in between. All old bottles delivered phantastically.
  
  The order
  
  2005
  
  Still primary fruit, very balanced, starting to reach his peak, silky tannins, alcohol well integrated. 93+
  
  2003 DMG
  
  From this size really fresh, black berries, a bit plums, soft tannins, you feel the hot vintage but not marmelade style, easy to drink and not over the top. 92-93
  
  2007 MG
  
  Still some oaky notes, much fruit, somehow one dimensional and missing a bit the refreshing acidity. I would prefer 03 as a warm vintage. 90
  
  2002
  
  Very reluctant, it reminds me to a classic Bordeaux vintage, even the nose shows black currant and cedar wood. Delicate and elegant. Even it was one of your first vintages it is a masterpiece, really not bold and broad. At least 10 more years. Great. 95-96
  
  2001
  
  Great structure and ultra fresh, firm tannins. It needs decantation. Lovely fruitieness and some herbal notes. A decade ahead. 94+
  
  2004
  
  I had this wine a few times before. Always delivering as today again. Fresh, elegant, decanted for 2 hours, reminds me to a very good Northern Rhone wine. Great acidity structure. White pepper, dark berries, saline and firm and ripe tannins. No hurry to finish it. For many in the group WOTN. 94-95
  
  2011
  
  Maybe this bottle was not perfect, a bit clumsy and some acetone
  
  2016
  
  3 hours decantation, ultra fresh and young. Very accessible and a pure fruit. Reminds many friends to a great Burgundy, I would go for a great CF from the Loire as Clos Rougeard. Graceful 95++
  
  2014
  
  2 hours of decanation. Fresh, accessible, evrybody's darling from the beginning. Tannins soft, great refreshing acidity, very balanced. 94
  
  2000
  
  Lovely, lean, still primary fruit, spicy, pepper, dark cherries, precise finish. Starting to reach his peak. At least 5-7 more yeras ahead. 94+
  
  2006
  
  A bit broad and wild. A lot of fruit but missing structure and substance for a further aging. 90
  
  2008
  
  Balanced, in a really nice drinking window, reluctant fruit but cracking acidity. 93
  
  2009
  
  A bit broad, a lot fruit, alcohol perceptible, somehow one dimensional. 91
  
  2013
  
  Fine, elegant, great structure, a lot of acidity, reduced fruit, spicy, a monster, precise finish. A lot to come in next 2 decades. 3 hours decantation. 95+
  
  2012
  
  Powerful and fruit dominated, less concentrated than 2013. Balanced, niice drinking window. 92
  
  2015
  
  Compared to 2013 a bit more "alcoholic" and not the finesse but still powerful and spicy Northern Rhone wine. Only 1 hour of decantion. Maybe this was the "problem".94+
  
  2010
  
  Still young, Many in the group are flashed from this wine, for me a bit short in the finish. Not completely balanced at this stage. I guess maybe in a closed window. Great structure. 92
  
  2017
  
  3 hours of decantation. Fresh, alcohol percetible, maybe it was a lot of alcohol at the end of the tasting, nicely balanced in fruit and acidity, great length, precise. 93+
  
  My Top 5
  
  2002, 2016, 2001, 2013, 2000

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  10/24/2019 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 93 Points

  Wine gang dinner at Maison Dakota. Tasted blind. Pop and poured. Drank over few hours. Drank in Grassl 1855.
  Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
  Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of grilled herbs, BBQ meat, stewed black cherries, blackberries, fruit pastilles, sweet spices, integrated dark chocolate oak. Developed.
  On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.1%), rounded integrated high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of stewed black cherriers, blackberries, dark plums, dusty earth, BBQ meat, dark chocolate, sweet spices. Additional sweet tar and licorice with more air. Concentrated redcurrant and red berry fruit coming out on day 2 under vacuum seal. Long finish but doesn't leave much of an impression.
  Good quality. Clearly an ambitious well-made wine. Very Old World feels.
  My 1st guess was modern Barolo in a hot vintage - 2003. My 2nd guess was aged Southern Rhone Chateauneuf du Pape - early 2000s. Still going strong and actually a bit better more lifted and having its shit together on day 2 under vacuum seal.
  So this is supposedly the best Red wine coming out of South Africa? I'll look forward to tasting my other vintages of this label. Interesting stuff.
  80% Syrah and 20% Mourvedre. Aged 2 years in small oak barrels.

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