Scoring in America 26 June 2007

Sadie hits the big time with 95 points

These things are (unfortunately or not) important. Even those who sneer at 'American taste' and marvel at the scoring systems and values of magazines like the Wine Spectator – even they, or most of them, get impressed and forget to guard against cultural cringe when a local wine does well in the heartland of the high-priced wine market.

Now the Sadie Family Columella 2005 has become the highest-scoring South African wine on the hugely influential Wine Spectator with a splendid 95 points. And as the magazine website says, the '[f]irst South African producer to earn a 95-point score has the passion—plus the vineyards and talent—to improve even more'. (The full article is available only to subscribers.)

Eben Sadie is understandably thrilled – 'it's fantastic for us as a small producer ... fantastic for the country' – although he acknowledges that 'the long haul for South Africa' is certainly not over and the Cape's reputation as a producer of fine wines needs a number of producers getting the big scores.