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. In Sadie’s opinion, this release “...is one of our most linear bottlings ever… the wine cuts like a Sushi knife!”