Winemaker Eben Sadie, of Sadie Family Wines, who also happens to be a skilled surfer, has put together a special case of 10 bottles of his renowned Columella, from the 2000 to 2009 vintages, marking a decade of this celebrated wine produced in the Paardeberg Mountains of the Swartland region. Due to the limited production of this wine, it is almost impossible to find some of the older vintages on the open market and a case of the historic 10-year line of the development of this limited wine is a rarity. Columella is a blend of Syrah and Mourvédre, and is, says Eben; 'a true wine of terroir that has always been about place above progress".
The charity sale offers unusual wine items, many of them collectors' items. Alongside the Columella collection is the last of three sets of Nederburg Tribute Shiraz 2007, specially created by visionary Nederburg cellarmaster Razvan Macici to mark the 35th anniversary of the Nederburg Auction and 350 years of wine at the Cape in 2009.
As well as impressive local wines, the charity auction is privileged to have several top-ranking foreign wines included in this year's line-up. Donated by Swedish wine personalities Britt and Janåke Johansson is one of the most exclusive, sought after sweet wines in the world – a 375ml bottle of Oremus Tokaji Eszencia 2000, of which just a few hundred bottles were made. Hungary's world-famous Tokaji, often referred to in literature as the 'wine of kings and the king of wines', is incredibly difficult to forget once tasted. Although very sweet, with a residual sugar content of 468 grams per litre, the enormous acidity perfectly balances this beautiful nectar, offering a spectacular richness and an unequalled flavour.
Another international item was donated by Auctioneer Anthony Barne MW and is also a dessert wine; this time a First Growth from the commune of Sauternes, on the banks of the Garonne river in the southern part of the Bordeaux vineyards. The acclaimed Chateau d'Yquem 1986 made, like all Sauternes, from noble late harvest grapes, was given a 98-point rating in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate of January 1998.
One of the doyens of SA wine, Duimpie Bayly, has donated three extraordinary old wines from the Distell tabernacle, including a two-bottle collection from the 70s that come from the acclaimed McWilliams winery in Australia. He comments further on these marvellous old wines in this brief YouTube clip.
This year's charity auction also benefits from items donated by Zonnebloem, Fleur du Cap, La Motte, and Stellenrust. Anyone may bid, and all proceeds raised will go to community-based organisations. Last year's charity sale raised R169 500 for the Goedgedacht Trust, the Pebbles project Trust and World Vision SA Mbekweni in Paarl. This year consideration will once again be given to locally-based community projects. The complete list of charity items is available on the auction website.
