Sadie Family Skerpioen 2020
- Region
- South Africa » Western Cape » WO Swartland
- Type
- white still, dry
- Producer
- Vintage
- 2020
- Grapes
- Chenin Blanc, Palomino
- Alcohol
- 12.5
- Sugar
- 1.7
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Cellar
- not available
Skerpioen is a blend of Chenin Blanc and Palomino from a vineyard in St. Helena Bay (Swartland). This is one of the coolest parts of the Swartland region, located a mere 2km from the Atlantic Ocean.
After harvesting, the grapes are placed in a cooling room to reduce their temperature, as the average temperatures are often 35 degrees or higher, which can lead to a series of problems. Then they proceed with the whole bunch pressing. It takes approximately 3 hours for the juice to settle in the collecting tank. The juice is then transferred to two old foudres for fermentation.
Natural fermentation can sometimes take up to 5 days or more to start. The fermentation process may continue for 1 to 6 months and sometimes only finishes in the following spring. By this time, the malolactic fermentation would have usually been completed as well. The wine is left in old Acacia and Oak casks on the fermentation lees for the first 12 months. Eben bottles the wine from lees.
The 2020 Skerpioen displays the usual very saline and mineral qualities and some chamomile flower aromas; and with further development and time some wheat straw characteristics also appear – and all of that is filled in with gripping tannin and a firm acidity. The 2020 vintage is slightly more concentrated than the previous two vintages and is drinking well now, but will benefit much of about 5 years in bottle. The Skerpioen is arguably our white wine that is the most accessible in any vintage at an early stage.
— Eben Sadie
Ratings
This wine impresses with its complex and elegant bouquet, featuring a diverse range of aromas from white peach and lime to chamomile tea, hay, sea pebbles, damp cellar, wet wood, and a hint of gunpowder. The balance is nearly flawless, creating a delicious, round, and subtly buttery palate. Its long and flavourful aftertaste further cements its status as a great wine, offering a rich and nuanced drinking experience.
My goodness, what a beautiful blend. A sophisticated and multilayered bouquet with notes of chamomile tea, hay, stone fruits, sea pebbles, old lemon, wet cellar and wet wood. Light, mineral, evolving and complex. It's almost perfectly balanced. Delicious today yet I reckon it's going to become a stunning beauty in the years to come.
About Producer
Eben Sadie from The Sadie Family Wines is a true legend in the world of winemaking. He has a fascinating story that has taken him all over the world, honing his craft and learning from the best. Eben graduated from Elsenburg College in 1994 and began his journey throughout Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, the United States, and South Africa, always seeking to learn and improve his skills.
Re-evaluation of Swartland began in the late 1990s when Charles Back of Fairview set up the Spice Route. In 1998, Eben joined Spice Route as head winemaker. During his time there, he gained valuable experience and developed his style. Eben was quick to realise Swartland's potential and, in 2000, produced his groundbreaking Syrah-based blend, Columnela.
Over the years, Eben has built a reputation for crafting exceptional wines that truly showcase the unique terroir of the Swartland. His passion for winemaking and dedication to quality has earned him numerous accolades, including being named Winemakers' Winemaker in 2017.
If you look at old wines from the Swartland you'll realise that we don't really have to reinvent anything, we should just go and harvest the good, old things that were already there. The Swartland really is one of those places where you can say what we have is fantastic, what we have is enough – there is nothing better out there. Our soil is remarkable and while our climate is a bit tough at present due to the drought, this place is thoroughly amazing.
— Eben Sadie
In addition to his stellar Columella and Palladius blends, Eben is renowned for his Old Vine Series, which he started working on in the second decade of the winery's life. The Old Vine Series consists of eight distinct wines - Skurfberg, 'T Voetpad, Pofadder, Kokerboom, Mev. Kirsten, Soldaat, Treinspoor, and Skerpioen. The grapes are sourced from some of the oldest vineyards in South Africa, located throughout the Swartland, with one or two falling outside the region's official borders.