The Sadie Family - Skurfberg - Chenin Blanc 2024
The Sadie Family is one of South Africa's most iconic estates, founded by Eben Sadie in the late 1990s and now recognized worldwide as a benchmark for great Cape wines. While the historic heart of the estate lies in the Swartland, some iconic cuvées come from more secluded terroirs, such as Skurfberg, located in the remote Citrusdal Mountain region in the northwest of the country. This isolated vineyard, perched on the mountainous foothills overlooking the Atlantic, rests on poor sandstone and sandy soils, swept by winds and subjected to a particularly arid climate. The Chenin Blanc vines here are among the oldest in South Africa, some planted before the mid-20th century. Grown without irrigation, they yield extremely low quantities but remarkable concentration. Skurfberg thus stands as a major single-vineyard cuvée in Eben Sadie's quest for terroir.
The 2024 Chenin Blanc Skurfberg is distinguished by an expression that is both austere and deeply vibrant of the grape variety. The nose reveals precise aromas of candied lemon, fresh pear, dried flowers, and warm stone, highlighted by a subtle saline touch. The palate is straight, taut, almost crystalline, with a fine texture that gradually reveals great depth. The balance rests on a marked natural acidity, perfectly integrated with a mature but never demonstrative body. The aging, deliberately discreet, leaves full room for the reading of the terroir and the energy of the wine. The whole offers a rare sensation of purity and verticality, faithful to Skurfberg's identity.
This 2024 vintage confirms the exceptional aging potential of this cuvée, which gains complexity and nuance over time. At the table, Skurfberg ideally accompanies precise and iodized cuisines, noble fish, or vegetable dishes with straightforward flavors. Its structure and length make it a gastronomic wine, but also a great meditation wine for discerning enthusiasts. Each tasting highlights the uniqueness of these old mountain vines, worked with absolute respect for life. Skurfberg is not a demonstrative Chenin Blanc, but a wine of place, demanding and deeply expressive. A major cuvée to understand Eben Sadie's vision and the diversity of great South African terroirs.
Grape variety: 100% Chenin Blanc
