2017 Skerpioen
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Tasting notes
The 2017 Skerpioen has gotten even better compared to when I tasted it just after bottling. This has a glorious bouquet with scents of beeswax, yellow fruit, just a light touch of oatmeal, astounding delineation and freshness. The palate is fresh and saline, quite linear and, as I suggested back then, quite Chablis-like in terms of its marine/oyster shell influence. Tensile, tightly coiled on the finish, there is little not to love about this Chenin and Palomino blend. Tasted at the Columella vertical in Hong Kong.
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Neal Martin
Neal Martin
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The 2017 Skerpioen is an equal blend of Chenin Blanc and Palomino from 80-year-old unirrigated vines on pure limestone soils. It has a crisp, marine-influenced, cockle-shell-scented bouquet, veering toward Chablis in style. The palate is beautifully balanced, with a fine line of acidity, and very saline in the mouth. Walnut and a dab of ginger emerge toward the finish. Excellent.
About the producer
Since he started making wine under his own name in 2000, Eben Sadie became a cult name in South Africa. The Swartland producer is best known for his flagship Columella and Palladius, but he also makes a range of whites and reds under the Old Vine Series, which became the District Series in 2025.