Pollux Membership March 2024: Skurfberg, Schmurfberg and If It’s Good Enough for Them…

A popular moniker: Citrusdal is the name of this mountain northeast of Cape Town (part of the Cederberg range), the small town below it, its surrounding valley, AND the wine appellation that is drawn through it all.

“Skurfberg, Schmerfberg”

Thorne and Daughters Sauvignon Blanc “Snakes and Ladders”

Citrusdal Mountain WO, South Africa 2021

Theory or Taster? That debate has always been at the core of many a discussion centered on what it means to be a wine professional. A great taster who tends to “bank” every wine they try, going with their gut to immediately assess what’s in the glass, is not using the wealth of information at their disposal to inform their decision, and will inevitably need to compromise in order to truly achieve top-flight wine pro status. Conversely, a bookish nerd who stocks up on certifications but can’t, upon tasting, properly evaluate or describe what their senses are given reeks of dilettantism. So, with more and more wine regions rising to “serious” status around the globe, and high-level technical information available to the layperson, how does one in the wine business set themselves apart?

Beyond any passed exams or blind tasting prowess, the keys to being an educated wine professional in today’s age in my view are twofold:

-Stay humble, and commit to a mindset of lifelong learning, because no one in this world knows everything, and pretending you do is just manifested insecurity.

-Get your boots on the ground as much as possible, with winemakers at their sites, importers, salespeople, fellow retailers and sommeliers, because the worst mistake a wine professional can make is to become insular, and there have been more than a few occasions in my career where I’ll learn something in the middle of a vineyard that conflicts with what I’ve read in an educator’s book-not to say those tomes are wrong or invaluable, it’s just that wine, like life, has nuance.

Creating GWC has allowed me to indulge in these two mindsets, and writing each month’s Stories is my form of bookwork, albeit one that feels refreshingly pleasurable. Taking deep dives into given regions and appellations keeps my wine mind fresh, but even this relatively new lease on my life of study, however, comes with Kryptonite, and if there is one country whose wine factoids fly from my head as if they were sparks from a fire, it would be South Africa.

Citrusdal’s etymology is exactly what you might think; the area contains many orchards.

I think the root cause of my blind spot with regard to South African wine theory is not the geography (the place is beautiful) or the history (though obviously much of that is regrettable), or even the wines themselves (I love them all, except for the “wrong side of a horse” Pinotage grape, and even then, I remain ever hopeful)-the real reason has to be all the Dutch. Present from the very first European settlement in South Africa in the 1650s, the Boers dialect is everywhere, with its confounding compound words that are half Germanic and half gibberish, strange lengthy terms that are chock full of the same vowel repeated ad nauseum, and infuriating “signature” spellings of seemingly straightforward words like “Ceder”-with obstacles like these, it’s no wonder that a well-meaning wine theorist can’t commit to memory the hundreds of Wards that fall into Districts that fall into Regions that make up the 7 Geographical Indications that comprise the South African WO (“Wine of Origin”) system. Blech.

I jest, of course, about all of the above save for my own fallibility, and I have begun to put my theoretical idiocy in South Africa to bed in the very best way: tasting wines so delicious that my recall becomes downright elephantine.

Vineyards on Skurfberg mountain, dressed in their characteristic red sand.

Now, my silly rant on language comes with a giant caveat in that the name of the vineyard area used in this month’s Pollux White, Skurfberg, is not an actual Dutch word in and of itself-the term for this area, one mountain located 3 hours northeast of Cape Town and a part of the Citrusdal Mountain Wine of Origin appellation, was coined in the 2000s by old vines researcher Rosa Kruger, who created a compound word from a road sign nearby announcing “Skurfkop” and the Dutch/German word for mountain, “berg”. Named for the many orchards scattered throughout the valley and mountains surrounding it, all of the Citrusdal Mountain WO is characterized by well-drained sandstone and shale soils with clay underbellies, and the appellation’s altitude (at 1600-2200 feet above sea level, some of the highest vineyards in South Africa) and arid climate contribute to very hot, dry days and large diurnal temperature swings.

The Skurfberg, in particular, takes this concept to the extreme, with soaring daytime temperatures that threaten the very existence of the craggy bush vines planted there, high up this wild mountainside. Where other areas of Citrusdal have become famous for Rhone Varietal reds such as Grenache and Syrah, The Skurfberg has made a name for itself bringing high-intensity, acidity-driven white wines to the fore, made from older vines which, if they can withstand being dry-farmed in this climate, can produce compellingly complex bottlings, with the berries warming and cooling each day without ultimately sacrificing any acidity. I had read famed critic Jancis Robinson’s article on the old vine Chenin Blanc sections of Skurfberg’s farms, but the wine that drew me to this feature was not the ripping acid and baked yellow apple of Chenin, but Sauvignon Blanc: this intense pairing of concentrated citrus from vines truly hanging on for dear life and acid content buoyed by Skurfberg’s wide and wild diurnal shifts is sublimely manifested by winemaker John Seccombe’s boutique property Thorne and Daughters.

Thorne and Daughters co-owner and winemaker John Seccombe, pictured with the winery’s namesakes.

As John Seccombe notes in his profile of the 2021 vintage, Skurfberg’s vineyards “remain on the fringes of viability”, and it’s this tightrope of picking intensely concentrated grapes from what amounts to a winemaking desert that, for Seccombe, make harvesting fruit from this place so special. His small production (150 cases) Sauvignon Blanc produced from a single Skurfberg block had to reflect the wildness of the landscape from which it is derived, so Seccombe and his wife chose “Snakes and Ladders”.

The 2021 vintage in the Western Cape was marked by rainfall, but the Skurfberg’s elevated position meant that it never saw much of this; Thorne and Daughters’ quantities for the vintage were reduced by cool conditions during flowering but, as is often the case, what fruit that was produced from a lower-yielding vintage was excellent. Seccombe is honest about the fact that the block of the Skurfberg he sources from houses two sections; one very vigorous, one less so. The balancing act required for keeping the pungent “green” aspects of the more prodigious section of fruit (always a danger in Sauvignon Blanc from anywhere, and here in South Africa especially) under wraps and letting the excellent citrus and spice notes from the less healthy vines get the lion’s share of the palate is achieved effortlessly in “Snakes and Ladders”, and with Seccombe’s decision to ferment the wine in 225 liter barrels (wild fermented with indigenous yeasts), the overall effect of the Sauvignon Blanc sourced from this otherworldly plot of land is that of a more White Bordeaux Gone South: racy acidity with a full mouthfeel, elegant, “juice instead of pithe” citrus, and complex spice and mineral secondary characters. Savoring a glass of “Snakes and Ladders”, one is simply appreciative of the wild places of the Earth, humbled by what artisans can do within those settings, and anxious to continue learning and searching for more. And who knows, maybe I’ll even commit some South Africa wine theory to memory along the Journey-D.

Thorne and Daughters Sauvignon Blanc “Snakes and Ladders”,

Citrusdal Mountain WO 2021

Country of Origin: South Africa.

Places and People: Winemaker John Seccombe founded Thorne and Daughters with his wife and-you guessed it-two daughters, specializing in small productions of wine coming from the Citrusdal Mountain WO in the Western Cape. About three hours north and east of Cape Town, Citrusdal is the name of a single mountain in the Cederberg range and also of the town and valley situated below these hills. The “Snakes and Ladders” name is a tribute to the wildness of its place: the grapes come from a specific mountain area called the Skurfberg, which has become renowned for an intensely warm and dry micro-climate that by the winemaker’s admission is on the edge of viability if you endeavor to dry farm without irrigating the vines (they don’t). Skurfberg is a delightful source of low-yielding Chenin and Sauvignon fruit from these incredible parcels. Only 150 cases produced.

Soil: Red sand topsoil over a clay subsoil.

Grape Varieties: 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

Winemaking: The “Snakes and Ladders” is harvested at an optimum time to ensure that the Sauvignon Blanc is ripe and doesn’t need to be artificially manipulated. The grapes are pressed whole-bunch in an antique Vaslin basket press, with no SO2 or other additions made. The juice is then wild-fermented with indigenous yeasts in a mix of 225 liter old oak barrels. The wines all go through malolactic fermentation in lieu of any sulphur additions at this point, as well.

Aging: The wines for the “Snakes and Ladders” will remain for 9-10 months in these same barrels, resting on their lees prior to blending and bottling. Sulphur is only added in a tiny amount prior to bottling for stability.

Flavors and Foods: The fact that Seccombe was trying to coax something atypical of Sauvignon Blanc out of this small-production, unique plot of land is evident right from the start. A golden straw color (Sauvignon B is usually pretty washed out) and nose of spiced pear (not a typical SB aroma), cardamom, a hint of butter/beurre blanc from the older barrel fermentation, and beautiful wet wool/lanolin/flinty notes that are reminiscent of the very best White Bordeaux (did Smith Haut Lafite or Carbonnieux move to South Africa?). On the palate, the 2021 “Snakes and Ladders” has “rippin’” acidity (a technical sommelier term, for sure) and balance between the richness of the oak aging and fruit (dried lemons and limes that are really umami with the oak/texture). As the wine opens, the lime notes become juicy Key limes, and there is a tropical note as well of melon and star fruit. Smooth textural roundness and a measured finish that belies the alcohol, even as the wine opens and warms up. The “Snakes and Ladders” could accompany an excellent chevre cheese, salmon confited in lime juice with fresh fennel, and the fullness of body means the wine is more suited than most Sauvignon Blancs to heartier seafood dishes (sole with butter, grilled monkfish) and white meat (cast-iron chicken with fingerling potatoes and roasted tomatoes and herbs).

Service and Cellar: The service temperature of the “Snakes and Ladders” is a tough call to make between getting all the additional lovely fruits and herbs that come with the wine warming a bit, and not letting said warmth render the acidity overwhelming. Oh heck, I’m going there-at the risk of pulverizing your palate with acid, serve the Thorne and Daughters at a higher white wine cellar temperature (50-52 degrees C). You will be truly amazed at the sheer depth of different descriptors sent your way.

Puriri Hills’ founder and winemaker Julie Fowler originally hailed from another climate that looks to Bordeaux as a grapegrowing guidepost-right here in Virginia.

“If It’s Good Enough for Them…”

Puriri Hills Estate Red Blend, Clevedon, New Zealand 2018

My greatest joy in starting Gemini Wine Company is indulging my passion for selection; whether it’s stumbling upon a winery’s tasting room whilst lost in some far-flung corner of the world or sitting at my desk tracking down a certain label’s arrival in the US through it’s shipping logistics, I love being, as I like to rather lamely pun it, a wine “source-erer”.

Sometimes, this work requires tenacity-trying to get a particular producer brought into market, getting on a vendor’s allocation list, or drudging up an old copy of a winelist and asking the question, “what did I pour with that pairing again?” All of this can be a bit tedious, but it’s difficult to quibble compared to other vocations (I’m still hunting wine, after all), and the thrilling sense of achievement when the stars at long last align is well worth the trouble.

I had wanted to plan a feature around this month’s Pollux red almost since GWC’s inception, and although this exemplary winery is by no means unheard of, the limited quantities produced always create a bit of a hierarchy, particularly when said limited quantities are sought by some prestigious account-in this case, a little restaurant in Washington, VA called The Inn (Over 40 years in and sporting 3 Michelin Stars, you may perhaps have heard of it). When The Inn at Little Washington wants to pour a wine by the glass, as a distributor you must understandably oblige (and keep that wine in stock lest you lose the pour forever), and until recently all of my comedic protests to the importer (“I used to pour this wine over a decade ago with Michel Richard”, “You don’t really need the Inn’s business, do you?” and my favorite, “Do you know who I am? Of course not!”) went for naught. Then one day last month the stars aligned; the Inn’s consumption, while still being used BTG, had declined slightly, and there was just enough available for my Pollux Members. The fact that this lined up perfectly with Women’s History Month was just the cherry on top, as this woman-founded winery is indeed worthy of the attention of a Michelin 3-starred restaurant, or even just a really picky, persnickety wine “source-erer”. It is my pleasure to introduce (or re-introduce) to you Judy Fowler and her Clevedon, New Zealand estate Puriri Hills.

Beyond the town of Clevedon, the Wairoa river widens and feeds into the Hauraki Gulf, on New Zealand’s North Island, about 35 minutes southeast of Auckland.

Imagine for a moment the audacity that it takes to peer out at a narrow band of land southeast of Auckland, alongside the Wairoa River (which grows rapidly into an estuary of the Hauraki Gulf, on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island), breathing in the clammy, humid air, and trying in vain to either dodge raindrops or peer through murky cloudcover, and thinking “yes, this is where we will start a winery-and not just any type of winery, but a single-estate, Bordeaux varietal-focused one that will compete with St. Emilion and Pomerol’s top classified growths?”

And yet that is precisely the mission that Judy Fowler and Phil Nunweek set out to fulfill when they founded Puriri Hills in 1996. And, when looked at more closely, their vision contained some logic. The village of Clevedon, whose population didn’t top 1,500 until the late 2010s, has proximity to the sea, but is separated enough that the humidity favors Merlot over Cabernet Sauvignon, similar to Bordeaux’s Right Bank. Also like the Right Bank, the Puriri Hills vineyard sites sport highly mineralized, porous soils. The aforementioned cloudcover actually works in the winery’s favor, further moderating temperatures and allowing for a long, measured growing season. And that humidity? Julie Fowler, in particular, is certainly familiarized with that, given the fact that she orginally hails from right here in Virginia (another winegrowing region that looks to Bordeaux as a guidepost).

With Fowler’s winemaking skills and the duo’s commitment to excellence, Puriri Hills’ (named after the native Puriri trees on their 93-acre property) recognition came along like their fruit: slowly, steadily. Their first vines, planted in 1997, yielded wine in 1999, and that original four acres of Merlot and what they thought at the time to be Cabernet Franc (later discovered as the less heralded Bordeaux blending variety, Carmenere) was added to little by little to get to the estate’s current size, which is still tiny-the 2018 Estate Red you’ll enjoy clocked in at less than 300 cases in total-no wonder the small allocation to Virginia is so highly sought after.

An aerial view of the Puriri Hills estate.

By 2005, Puriri Hills had its own winery onsite and was starting to gain critical notice, producing elegant, complex Bordeaux blends with exacting finesse and strict ecological standards (the winery is exclusively dry-farmed, hand-pruned and harvested, and if treatments are needed, they are composed solely of certified organic or biodynamic materials). The estate’s vines are now between 23 and 27 years of age, and yields are relatively low at around 33 hectoliters per hectare (by comparison, St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe’s cap is 40 hl/hal). The cooler microclimate of their Clevedon location that allows for longer, stable grape growth also means that these wines are never overripe-the 2018 Estate red blend featured here is a very medium-range 12.9% abv, meaning that both fruit and the wine’s overall structure are pleasantly infused with acidity, a fact that almost makes the Puriri Hills, with its Merlot-derived red fruit, almost more Italianate than Bordelaise. What is remarkable year after year with Puriri Hills is that while their style is instantly recognizable, the wines, and specifically the Estate Red, truly reflect each vintage. 2018 saw Fowler and her team (now including consulting winemaker Evert Nijzink) dealing with rainfall at both flowering and harvest time, but these challenges were preceded by excellent conditions, meaning that the fruit here is indeed generous.

Puriri Hills’ own website states that the Estate Red is often the first wine of theirs that most clients taste, as it is a favorite of many fine dining restaurants. Surely then, there are others like myself whose grand plans have been stymied by the stalwarts of their location’s respective restaurant scene. I am (in retrospect, of course) happy to wait, knowing that we can appreciate Julie’s work during a time of highlighting and celebrating women, and knowing too that, where the Inn at Little Washington is concerned, we are now in the best of company-D.

Puriri Hills Estate Red Blend, Clevedon 2018

Country of Origin: New Zealand.

Places and People: Virginia native Julie Fowler co-founded Puriri Hills in 1996-inspired by and aspiring to the great Bordeaux blends of St. Emilion and Pomerol, Puriri Hills has become a critically accalimed producer of Merlot-based red wines. Located in the town of Clevedon, southeast of Auckland on New Zealand’s North Island, the winery’s estate vineyards overlook the Wairoa River as it empties into the Hauraki Gulf. The grapes for the Estate Red are 17-21 years of age and production is limited: less than 300 cases of the 2018 were made.

Soil: High-retention clay soils which make it possible for Fowler and her team to dry-farm the vineyards.

Grape Varieties: 46% Merlot, 24% Carmenere, 23% Malbec, 7% Cabernet Franc.

Winemaking: Hand-harvested at peak ripeness, the fruit for the 2018 Estate is 100% destemmed and almost all of the fruit is crushed prior to being put in a combinaton of open-top oak cuves and stainless steel tanks. Fermentation is begun with a cold-soaking to allow development of wild yeasts, and then inoculated. Maceration lasts 1-3 weeks depending on the varietal, which are vinified separately.

Aging: The free run juice of these vinified wines is put to barrel, with the marc (remaining skins/seeds/pulp) also lightly basket pressed. The wines are all aged in French oak for approximately 21 months, after which each individual grape variety, which has been completely vinified separately, is subject to a final blend. Light filtration and bottling follow.

Flavors and Foods: The 2018 “Estate” shows the Merlot as centerpiece, with red plums, pomegranate, and grenadine leading the way. A tantalizing acidity is prevalent throughout the wine’s presence on your palate, from attack to finish. Full-bodied weight and earthy complexity (grilled meats, herbal notes such as fresh sage and thyme, cedar wood) make this wine balanced and regal in texture. Pair the 2018 “Estate” red with rustic, gamey meats (lamb, jalal beef, robust pork cuts such as country-style ribs) and hearty grains and vegetables (actually, in-season asparagus either roasted or grilled would be excellent).

Service and Cellar: Red wine cellar temperature of 58-62 degrees F is perfect for the Puriri Hills Estate 2018, and the wine benefits from a short decanting-I think 30 minutes is the maximum for this wine, as the red fruit and “less than Cab” tannins of Merlot don’t need any longer. The 2018 Estate Red is a wine built to age, but I think it’s firmly in the window for drinking now in its 5th year in the bottle, although you could cellar for another 5 also.