2023 Sadie Family Citrusdal Mountain Skurfberg
2023 Sadie Family Citrusdal Mountain Skurfberg

2023 Sadie Family Citrusdal Mountain Skurfberg

Highly Rated
Sadie Family Wines |Swartland |Chenin Blanc
A rare and iconic Chenin Blanc from 90-year-old bush vines in Citrusdal Mountain, showcasing unparalleled purity, textural depth, and the timeless quality of South Africa’s greatest vineyards.
Price:
$165.00
Stock:
Sold out
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Description

The 2023 Skurfberg is a shining example of Eben Sadie’s ability to turn an exceptional vineyard site into one of South Africa’s most iconic wines. Crafted from 90-year-old Chenin Blanc vines in the remote Citrusdal Mountain District, this is a wine that marries history, terroir, and meticulous winemaking to stunning effect. Rare and highly sought after, it is a benchmark for South African whites.

The fruit is sourced from ungrafted, dry-farmed bush vines planted between 1940 and 1955 on the decomposed red sandstone slopes of the Skurfberg, or “rugged mountain.” These vines are farmed without herbicides or chemical fertilisers, maintaining the purity of the site. The grapes are basket-pressed as whole bunches, spontaneously fermented in old casks, and aged for 12 months on lees before blending. This natural approach amplifies the wine’s textural depth and mineral complexity.

The 2023 vintage reveals layers of citrus zest, peach skin, and earthy undertones, carried by a taut acidity and a vibrant mineral core. Its energy and precision are beautifully balanced by a supple texture, making for a wine of immense character and elegance.

This is a true collector’s piece—an enduring tribute to both its singular site and the late Basie van Lill, the legendary grower behind these extraordinary vines.

96 points
"Density and depth to this full-bodied chenin blanc. It’s savory and zesty, showing notes of lime peel, sliced pears, fenugreek, beeswax and chamomile. Bright, yet compact and dense. Chenin blanc from the Skurfberg Mountain in the Citrusdal mountain area, planted on decomposed Table Mountain sandstone soils. Try from 2025."
- Claire Nesbitt (James Suckling)

96 points
"A tribute to the legendary grower Basie van Lill... pale, floral and forward for this terroir, with passion fruit, peach, and lemon zest complemented by the minerality of Citrusdal Mountain."
- Tim Atkin MW (South Africa Report 2024)

95 points
"A supremely gifted Skurfberg... taut and fresh, with a lime-driven entry and brimming energy from start to finish."
- Neal Martin (Vinous)

96 points - "Density and depth to this full-bodied chenin blanc. It’s savory and zesty, showing notes of lime peel, sliced pears, fenugreek, beeswax and chamomile. Bright, yet compact and dense. Chenin blanc from the Skurfberg Mountain in the Citrusdal mountain area, planted on decomposed Table Mountain sandstone soils. Try from 2025." - Claire Nesbitt (James Suckling)

96 points - ""In memory of Basie," reads the label, which is a nice tribute to the legendary grower, Basie van Lill, from whose farm Eben Sadie sources Skurfberg. Using dry-farmed grapes from a 0.8-hectare parcel on red granite and iron soils, this is pale, floral and comparatively forward for a wine from this terroir, with passion fruit, peach and lemon zest flavours and the minerality that comes with the territory on Citrusdal Mountain." - Tim Atkin MW (South Africa Report 2024)

95 points - "The 2023 Skurfberg, pure Chenin on sandstone soils (which Sadie mentioned creates "earthy" whites), has a very intense nose. It’s oily and resinous with grapefruit and a touch of peach skin, very well defined but requiring time in the glass. Taut and fresh, the palate is quite lime-driven on the entry, brimming with energy from start to finish. It gently fans out toward the finish. This is a supremely gifted Skurfberg." - Neal Martin (Vinous)

Citrusdal Mountain. This extraordinary 100% Chenin Blanc hails from one of South Africa’s northernmost wine regions, the arid Citrusdal Mountain District, on the west bank of the Olifants River. Specifically, the fruit is drawn from the late Basie van Lill’s 90-year-old ungrafted bush vines at 640 metres on the decomposed, red sandstone slopes of the Skurfberg (which means ‘rigid mountain’). Planted between 1940 and 1955, these immaculately farmed vines have never been treated with herbicides or chemical fertilisers. “It is a truly great site for Chenin, and it is most unusual that such a warm and dry area still produces wines with this enormous texture and freshness,” says Eben.

Again, the Chenin is basket-pressed as bunches and transferred to old casks for spontaneous fermentation. Following 12 months on lees, the wine is blended and returned to the same casks before being bottled directly from foudre. The result is a tension-fuelled wine that can easily stand up to the greatest Chenins of the Loire—a wine of jaw-dropping texture, mineral energy and complexity. “The [2023’s] viscosity and volume, combined with the cutting acidity, suggest that this vintage has the mechanics to age incredibly well, like Kokerboom,” says Eben.

Price Bracket $101 and Above
Type White
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Chenin Blanc
Country South Africa
Region Swartland
Feature High Score
Reviewed By James Suckling
Critic Score 96
95
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Cork

Sadie Family Wines

One of the tearaway producers of the revitalised Swartland wine scene, Sadie Family Wines has had an astronomical rise to fame on the international stage.

Owner and winemaker, Eben Sadie, first found acclaim under the banner of Terroir Al Limit where he was a co-founder alongside Dominik Huber. In the same way that Terroir Al Limit helped redefine what wine could taste like from Priorat in Spain, Sadie handles his family wines and vines with that same ruthless attention to detail.

These wines perfectly articulate a sense of place. Sadie's transparency in winemaking and obsessive farming practices reveal intense, tightly-wound wines with distinct personality. These are now some of South Africa's most keenly sought-after artisan wines. Worldwide allocations are minuscule and hotly contested. As little as a handful of bottles make it to Australia each year. Secure these rare birds while you can.

Eben Sadie in the vineyard Sadie Family Wines

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