The Skurfberg Mountain is part of the Citrusdal mountain area and the word Skurfberg (Rugged Mountain in Afrikaans) mainly refers to the edgy and rough appearance of the mountain. The soil is mainly decomposed Table Mountain sandstone formations and tends to be very sandy. It is regarded as a truly great site for Chenin Blanc, and it is most unusual that such a warm and dry area still produces wines with this enormous texture and balancing freshness.
Together, the three low-yielding parcels Sadie Family Wines uses represent the possibilities of the area, each offering something unique to the complexity of the final blend. The one site has huge aromatic fruit concentration; the second offers an earthy character and overt minerality, and the third (the highest, and closest to the Atlantic Ocean) retains amazing acidity and freshness. The three parcels of fruit are vinified separately.
Winemaking: The grapes are picked in small 20kg picking crates and then placed in a cooling room to reduce the temperature. Eben Sadie considers this an essential step in the Swartland where temperatures are often 35 degrees C and more during harvest time; and pressing warm grapes comes with a series of potential challenges. The cooling process is followed up by whole bunch pressing. The process takes about three hours and during this time there is a margin of settling of the juice in the collecting tank. The juice is then transferred to two older foudre where it is left undisturbed until natural fermentation starts. The fermentation process can sometimes take up to 10 or more days to initiate and can last anything from 1 to 6 months, sometimes only finishing during the next spring, by which time the malolactic fermentation would often have come to completion as well. The wine is left in cask on the fermentation lees for 12 months and bottled directly off the lees. They add about 50ppm of sulphur 2 weeks prior to bottling and bottle directly from the cask.
2017 Producer Note: “Skurfberg fruit came in fully ripe in 2017 and produced a very serious wine in the Chenin arena. The aromatics are very spicy, white pepper with some flinty tones that then cross over into again the stone fruit aromas of apples and pear skin. There is also a minerality that is running throughout the wine and not only on the aromatics, but it carries through to the palate. This wine needs a serious plate of food.” ~ Eben Sadie.
Sadie Family Wines Skurfberg Chenin Blanc 2017, WO Olifants Rivier, 14% Abv.
A more creamy expression on the nose, quite leesy and biscuity. Also a bit of delicious pear fruit. Juicy and tangy on the palate, delicately pithy, deceptively grippy but finishes with a cool, vibrant precision. No real rush but keep an eye on it. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
2018 Producer Note: “The Skurfberg up in the Clanwilliam mountains was definitely the area most affected by the drought. Not only did these vineyards receive less rain, but with half the normal rainfall and the extremely well-drained, decomposed Table Mountain sandstone soils the combination was just suicidal. We only managed to pick 30% of the grapes we collect in a normal year. The wine is unbelievably harmonious and poised and it actually does not show much of the drought other than a slightly lower alcohol level and a higher acidity than normal – we picked earlier to try and save as much of the vine reserves as we could. Drinking this wine is the closest we’ll probably get to walking on crystal.” ~ Eben Sadie.
Sadie Family Wines Skurfberg Chenin Blanc 2018, WO Olifants Rivier, 13.5% Abv.
A very saline, tangy expression of Chenin full of white peach, pear and green apple aromatics. Full and mouthwatering on the palate, packed with pear and peach fruits but essentially a very vibrant expressive and pure focused Skurfberg. Impressive concentration and really no rush if you have in your cellar. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
2019 Producer Note: “Following the trajectory to the northern territories of the Citrusdal Mountain area the Skurfberg yields, just like those of the Soldaat, were suicidally low and we managed to bottle only a third of our usual production. The 2019 displays amazingly concentrated stone fruit and quince flavours with a pronounced mineral note, very good acidity and freshness. In many ways this is one of the purest forms of Chenin we have had in the tank to date.” ~ Eben Sadie.
Sadie Family Wines Skurfberg Chenin Blanc 2019, WO Olifants Rivier ,14% Abv.
A more honied, opulent aromatics with notes of bees wax and melted wax candles. Rich and punchy, this is a block buster from the outset – broad but also fresh and intense but super long on the finish. Wow! A big, big, big vintage. Drink now to 2038+.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
2020 Producer Note: “This 2020 vintage of Skurfberg was a very limited production as yields again dwindled down, the drought in the Cederberg Mountains continued and we opted to reduce the yield in order to save reserves. This 2020 is an incredibly compact and viscus expression of Chenin Blanc and the stone fruit and peach skin aromas are followed up by a very mineral expression and some tropical aromas in the background. The tannins are smooth and the acidity is perfectly nestled in between the fruit and the tannin. Please give wine the time in the bottle.” ~ Eben Sadie.
Sadie Family Wines Skurfberg Chenin Blanc 2020, WO Olifants Rivier, 14% Abv.
Wow, what a beautifully fragrant Skurfberg with hints of yellow peach, honey, and buttered white toast. Full, fresh, and fleshy on the palate, this is a powerful, dense expression. Really amazing, this tops the line-up with its structured, balanced by power. A really sophisticated age worthy success for a vintage that often leans to the earlier drinking side. No rush here however. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
