Provenance

Wine Cellar Private Client

Critics Ratings

2015:
'The 2015 Old Vine Series Skurfberg, Eben Sadie's pure Chenin Blanc was picked late afternoon and driven to the winery through the night when it is cooler. It offers attractive aromas of lanolin, nutmeg, nectarine and peach skin, well defined and gaining intensity all the time with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, smoked walnut, bitter lemon and a pinch of white pepper, developing more and more intensity with time. This is sublime.' - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 93/100 (Apr 2017)

'Admittedly this is a very serious wine to be drinking so young, but its profound lifted aromatics and complexity already in its infancy are so attractive and beguiling that I would have to recommend drinking this wine at as many stages of its development as the number of bottles in your cellar will allow. On opening, the aromatics are very much spicy, pithy and dominated by dried thyme, tarragon and sweet fennel, with a subtle but defined under vein of crushed granite minerality. 10 minutes in the glass is all that’s required to unleash wave upon wave of pear purée, pithy orange peel, tangerine, crunchy white peaches and other white citrus notes. The palate is almost overpoweringly intense – yet light footed, elegant, incredibly focused, intense and sensorial. The palate resonates with delicious notes of sweet white citrus, green apples, picante orange peel, and a forceful, tart acidity that melts away into the fruit concentration, leaving your mouth salivating for another sip. I often compare great Chenin Blanc from South Africa with great white Burgundy, because few wines can pull off this kind of depth, intensity, and fruit concentration punch with taught bristling acidity, yet remain regal, noble, sophisticated and utterly compelling. This 2015 is a wine that might well define a new generation of quality, from a vintage that already defines supreme quality in the modern era of wine making in South Africa.' - Greg Sherwood MW, 97+/100 (Sep 2017)

2016:
'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)

'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

'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

2017:
‘Bright and juicy, with detailed yellow apple, white peach, star fruit, heather and salted butter notes streaming through in unison. Shows nice cut on the finish. Chenin Blanc. Drink now through 2022.’ – James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, 92/100 (May 2019)

‘Now coming from Olifant's River, the 2018 Old Vine Series Skurfberg is Chenin Blanc at its finest. The nose opens with the precision and focus to be one of South Africa's greatest bottles of Chenin Blanc, showcasing pineapple with a rocky minerality, that is tightly wrapped with citrus and tropical fruits aromas. The palate is just ripe, with golden apples and freshly squeezed lemon peel with an undercurrent of pleasing waxy bitterness. This wine has length, is well-balanced with high complexity and I felt myself do a double take, eagerly going back for a second sip. The medium-bodied wine ends with a long dusty, thought-provoking finish.’ - Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate, 93/100 (Oct 2019)

‘A great grower, a great site, a great winemaker and a great vintage: it doesn’t get much better in the Chenin Blanc world than this stunning, focused, multi-dimensional white from Basie van Lill’s property on the Skurfberg. Combining citrus and stone fruit flavours, it’s a wine that’s steered and marshalled by its acidity. Stunning. 2020-28’ - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2018, 98/100