Sadie Family Swartland Skerpioen 2024

Sadie Family Swartland Skerpioen 2024

Swartland. Named after the abundant native scorpions that make their home here, Skerpioen is an unirrigated 2.4-hectare, 90-year-old vineyard planted half to Palomino and half to Chenin Blanc. It’s just two kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean and overlooks Elands Bay. The soils are sandy and chalky, likened by Sadie to the white albariza of Andalucía. It’s fitting, then, that half the vines are Palomino. This is also one of the coolest parts of Swartland—cool but also extremely dry, with an average rainfall of only about 300mm per year. Eben quips that “if Mad Max had a vineyard, this would be it.” The dryness naturally restricts the yields (the average is only 26 hl/ha) and concentrates the fruit, magnifying the wine’s saline intensity.

Skerpioen comes from one of the Swartland's most unusual and beautiful sites, a 90-year-old vineyard on a combination of beach sand and bright-white limestone. Marrying equal parts Palomino and Chenin Blanc, the 2024 is slightly broader than usual, but retains its defining sea breeze freshness. Jasmine and wet stone lead you into a sappy, pure, very lightly wooded palate of saffron, waxed lemons and salted almonds. A stunning white that ages majestically too. 99 Points - Tim Atkin MW

The 2024 Skerpioen is the Chenin Blanc Palomino blend on limestone soils next to the coast, this year's fruit picked early. "The wine was much fuller than I thought and one of the best wines we have made from the site," according to Sadie. The Chenin part speaks louder than the Palomino at the moment, sea spray and shucked oyster shells unfolding on the nose. The palate is fresh and vibrant, very saline in style, certainly very marine influenced with Palomino finally finding its voice on the finish. Superb. 96 Points - Neal Martin, Vinous