Notes

Please note that condition of the front label of the Skurfberg 2018 Label - this happened when the labels were applied by hand at the winery.

Provenance

Wine Cellar Private Client

Critics Ratings

2014:
‘Made with grapes from an 88-year-old vineyard on sandstone soils on the West Coast, this unirrigated Chenin is one the Cape’s best whites. Wild flowers, honey, salinity, minerality and a long, flowing, tapering finish, with old oak adding a little texture. Drink: 2015-24’ - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2015, 96/100

‘From 90-year-old Chenin Blanc vines on sandstone soil, the 2014 Skurfberg is closed on the nose at first and then gradually unfurls with dried honey, honeysuckle, broom and hazelnut scents, just a touch of yeastiness underneath. It has wonderful delineation and complexity. The palate is extremely well balanced with enthralling poise and race, freshly sliced pear and red apple interlaced with five-spice towards the long finish. This is one of those wines that needs to be cellared for several years and will definitely repay you.’ – Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 95/100 (Nov 2015)

‘Exceptionally vibrant, delicately scented 2014 Olifants River dryland chenin flaunts supremely rich, delicious citrus-edged stonefruit, focused by precise, textured acidity & minerality. Profound young wine possesses great clarity & deep complexity, with a lot more to offer with time in bottle.’ - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2016, 4.5*

‘2016:
‘One of only two Chenins in the old vine series, this comes from three farms on the slopes of the Skurfberg. Naturally fermented in old wood, it’s a stunning white with white flower aromas, notes of pastry, citrus and nectarine and an intensity that builds and builds on the palate. The finish is long and very mineral. 2018-24’ - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2017, 97/100

‘Dryland chenin from Olifants River. 2016 as impressive, distinguished as ever despite severe drought pressure; an honest reflection of the vintage & venerable site. Slightly richer, warmer (14.5% alcohol) than 2015, it’s still compact, perfectly balanced & beguiling in its earthy minerality.’ - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2018, 5* (95/100)

‘Chenin Blanc. Smoky nose – the most reductive I have so far encountered in this tasting. Rich underneath with fabulous tension. What’s not to like? Creamy texture.’ – Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17+/20 (Oct 2017)

'Eben Sadie’s Skurfberg 2016 from Chenin Blanc planted between 1940 and 1955 up the West Coast pretty much in the middle of nowhere, is staggeringly good. On the nose, dried herbs and flowers, before citrus, peach, apple and vanilla pod. The palate shows extraordinary fruit density plus a little bit of phenolic grip making this a particularly forceful vintage – it seems even more concentrated than the 2015 but perhaps with slightly less verve. Layers and layers of flavour, including the vaguest sense of bitterness on the finish which only adds to the drinking experience.' - Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 96/100

2018:
‘The sources of Eben Sadie's amazing West Coast Chenin Blanc have been reduced from three to two in 2018, leaving him with Basie van Lill and Joshua Visser, which is not a bad team to have. Grown on red, iron-rich decomposed sandstone, this is one of the world's great whites, a bold, yet incredibly focused wine that is sappy, floral and almost ludicrously long on the palate. 2021-28’ - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2019, 98/100

‘Chenin off three old-vine dryland parcels in Olifants River, crop decimated by drought to around 30%. 2018 triumphs over adversity. Harmonious, spare but not insubstantial build; shy earthy, peachy notes leading to mineral, firmly dry conclusion. Speaks of place rather than variety.’ - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2020, 5* (96/100)