2021 Sadie Family Swartland Skerpioen

Highly Rated
Palomino and Chenin Blanc from a scorpion-riddled sandy vineyard in Swartland, South Africa.

Price:
Sale price$145.00
Stock:
Sold out

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Description

Skerpioen is a dry, sand-swept Swartland vineyard established more than 80 years ago. The name for the site is derived from the native scorpions that roam the ground between the bush vines.

The two varieties, Palomino and Chenin Blanc, are picked and fermented together by visionary winemaker Eben Sadie.

There is a fascinating textural experience to be had here. It's fine, saline and defined by an intense minerality. Sadie describes this vintage as "...one of our most linear bottlings ever… the wine cuts like a Sushi knife!"

Named after the abundant native scorpions that make their home here, Skerpioen is an unirrigated, 2.4-hectare, 80-plus-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 here are very sandy and chalky, of a type that Sadie likens to the white albariza soils of Andalucía. Fitting then that half the vines here are Palomino. This is also one of the coolest parts of Swartland. Cool, yes, but also extremely dry, with an average rainfall of only around 300mm per year. This naturally restricts the yields (average yields are only 26 hl/ha) and concentrates the fruit, magnifying the saline intensity in the fruit.


The grapes are picked and pressed together and naturally co-ferment in old wooden casks. The result is always a stunning and complex white that is completely unique. The 2021 is, as always, Sadie’s most mineral, racy, and low-alcohol white wine.

97 Points - "Eben Sadie describes this isolated, sand dune-covered site as “the vineyard of Mad Max” and I know what he means. Pale and salty, the resulting wine is a brilliant, cool climate, wind-buffeted cuvée of Chenin Blanc and Palomino that has limestone freshness and intensity, kelp, oyster shell and sourdough flavours and volcanic intensity." - Tim Atkin MW (South Africa Report 2022)

93 Points - "The 2021 Skerpioen is the Chenin Blanc and Palomino blend grown on limestone soils close to the coast that is matured in foudres with 10-11 months on the lees. It has a well-defined bouquet with iodine and saline notes on the nose that is slightly more neutral in style compared to Sadie’s other whites. The palate is very well balanced, again, quite neutral in style, very saline with shades of nutmeg and lemon thyme, a saline tang surfacing towards the persistent finish. Uncompromising...in a positive sense of the word." - Neal Martin (Vinous)

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For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.

We will dispatch your order the same or next business day.

Estimated delivery transit time varies depending on your location. Please review this page for specific estimates.

Sydney (Our Vans): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions our driver will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so if not, they will return the item to us and hold your order until further instruction from you. 

Melbourne (Anonymous Wine Freight): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions, the courier will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so. if not, they will return the item to their dispatch centre and hold until further instruction from you.

Australia Post: Australia Post will leave the parcel if they have been given authority to leave and it is deemed safe to do so. To give your Authority to Leave, please enter this in the 'SPECIAL REQUEST' box at checkout.

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