Sadie Family
Skerpioen 2018
Cape Heritage
About the SessionA selection of South Africa’s finest wines, inspired by our rich wine heritage and the unique character of the Cape Winelands. Chenin Blanc is celebrated for its remarkable versatility, producing an exceptional range of wine styles, particularly in South Africa, home to the oldest Chenin Blanc vines in the world. These historic vineyards continue to produce wines of great diversity, elegance, and ageing potential. The Pinotage selection showcases leading producers, all of whom have become consistent flag bearers for this proudly South African variety.
About this Item
Skerpioen takes its name from the scorpions that inhabit its remote coastal site, a wind-swept parcel planted between 1958 and 1967 in chalk-based limestone soils halfway between Dwarskersbos and Elands Bay on the West Coast, one of the most geologically distinctive vineyard addresses in all of South Africa. The wine is produced from a co-planting of Chenin Blanc and Palomino, whole-bunch pressed and naturally fermented, aged on the gross lees in neutral old casks.
Provenance
Brice & Burnett Private Wine Client
Critics Ratings
'Interplanted & co-vinified chenin & palomino ex 60 year old vines near Swartland's cool Atlantic coast. 2018 delicate citrus blossom & honey scents; flavours more emphatic yet still pure, earthy, saline; chalky texture from limestone soil; finish lifted, lengthened by fresh acidity.' - Platter's SA Wine Guide 2020, 4.5* (94/100)
'Now that I've visited the vineyard, I admire this wine even more, such is the heroism required to grow grapes in such an isolated site. Combining Chenin Blanc and Palomino grown on sand a limestone soils, it's pale, fragrant, yeasty and salty with notes of kelp, quince and citrus and some stony, struck-match reduction. 2019-28' - Tim Atkin SA Special Report 2019, 97/100
'The 2018 Skerpioen, a field blend of Chenin Blanc and Palomino, has a detailed bouquet of pressed white flowers, honeysuckle and dried apricot aromas that blossom with aeration. The palate is taut and fresh, and the saline finish remains tight and linear, perhaps just tapering a little earlier than I might have liked. Otherwise, this is very fine.' - Neal Martin, Vinous, 91/100 (Oct 2019)
'Fresh and zippy, the 2018 Old Vine Series Skerpioen opens with citrus and in a shy way. The palate moves more citrus-driven with a soft salinity that is very pleasing on the mid-palate, showing a focused and clean expression with a mineral backbone that I find in the range of Sadie Family wines. The finish is pure and structured and begs for fresh seafood and shellfish. Medium-bodied with lively acidity, this is serious wine made from a blend of Chenin Blanc and Palomino that is simply delicious! Stellar!' - Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate, 92+/100 (Oct 2019)
'From a Swartland field blend of Chenin Blanc and Palamino. Aromatics of lime and green apple with a herbal note in the background. Lean and linear with super-fresh acidity and a long, pithy finish. An arresting wine with great energy.' - Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 93/100 (Jul 2019)
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