eben-sadie4.jpg A Wine Spectator Magazine score of 95 is a rarity. Generally, such ratings are reserved for exceptional wines, and exceptional wines require time. I was actually surprised to find a South African wine with a 95 score. So, too, I think, was Wine Spectator:

From Wine Spectator:

The Sadie Family Columella Swartland 2005 (95 points, $78) is a blend of 80 percent Syrah and 20 percent Mourvèdre. The wine, which debuted in the 2000 vintage, is the first in South Africa to garner a classic rating (95 points or more on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale). The 2005 Columella offers a stunning array of blue and black fruit–blackberry, boysenberry, blueberry and currant–that is pure, driven and refined, with licorice, sweet spice, vanilla, mineral and sanguine notes flittering throughout. Despite its concentration, it’s remarkably elegant, with superb length and a seamless finish.

I did manage to find one on-line retailer that sells the wine (make sure you’re looking for the correct year), but Wine Spectator notes that “Sadie Family wines are available at restaurants and retailers in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C.”

Via Everywine