The Sadie Family Wines Columella 2022

The 2022 Columella arrives at a historic 13.2% alcohol, the lowest this Syrah-Mourvèdre-Grenache-Cinsault-Tinta Barocca blend has ever been bottled at, and it shows. Closed and contemplative at first, the nose slowly gives up potpourri, damp undergrowth and brambly red fruit with time in the glass. Medium-bodied on the palate, with fine-grained tannins and a cool, sapid precision that sets it apart from warmer, denser editions of this wine. There's a symmetry and focus here that keeps drawing you back, another sip always seems necessary. Eben Sadie reportedly finished the bottle the following evening. Hard to argue with that instinct.