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Old Vine Series. 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 are sandy and chalky, likened by Sadie to the white albarizas of Andalucía. It’s fitting, then, that half the vines are Palomino. This is also one of the coolest parts of Swartland. Cool, but also extremely dry, with average rainfall of only around 300mm per year. This naturally restricts the yields (the average is only 26 hl/ha) and concentrates the fruit, magnifying the saline intensity.
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 unique. The 2022 is, as always, Eben’s most mineral and racy wine. “We suggest rushing off to buy oysters!” he says. “This wine is more assessable at an early stage than most of our other wines.”