Skerpioen

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