Snakes & Ladders 2025
Sauvignon blanc
Tasting Notes
The vineyards for Snakes & Ladders are far north on the Atlantic west coast of the Cape, perched on the escarpment between the Atlantic coastal plain and the Olifantsrivier valley. This is a wild and pure landscape. The wine’s name is inspired by the extremes of this area and the highs and lows of farming it. Deep, red, sandy soils and cool Atlantic breezes temper an otherwise unforgiving climate.
This is an incomparable appellation for Sauvignon blanc and one in which we feel texture, structure and complexity are key to what we can create here. We vinify the wines with respect for the wild places where they are grown. Native yeast ferment, old French oak barrels and a light touch in the cellar allow a very pure expression of the terroir.
Lemon drop, granadilla, locquat and tinned pineapple aromatics accompany a pleasant struck-match note that melds with fennel and crushed sea shells. A chalky, bracingly lively palate balances a core of yellow tropical fruit, pea shoots and greengage with a lemon curd acidity towards a long, saline finish.
Nuts & Bolts
Sauvignon blanc β Olifantsrivier, 27-31 year old vineyards on iron rich sand soils over clay and alluvial deposits
Residual sugar β 1.10 g/L
Total acidity β 6.7 g/L
pH 3.14
About The Wine
The moderate 2025 season was very kind to us up in the Skurfberg. Given how dry this region can be it is a big relief not being pushed to pick by the normal January heatwaves. The crops were very generous, flavours just absolutely off-the-charts. The cooler weather allowed for a very good level of flavour and tannin ripeness without excessive alcohol. Yes, we pick Sauvignon blanc for tannin-ripeness and yes it does have an expression that is not driven by the green flavour spectrum.
This is a “region of compulsion” for me as I just can’t turn down the opportunity to work with grapes from this area. I think compulsion is what allows me to push through the work of sourcing grapes from so far afield. It remains logistically challenging, but those long harvest days fade away as we assess the wines in barrel. I’m continually delighted to see the kind of complexity and texture that Sauvignon blanc can deliver on the right sites, showing itself to be one of the World’s classic grape varieties.
We have stuck to our winemaking basics here, leaving primary fruit behind in favour of the deeper characteristics of the wines. The grapes are whole-bunch pressed in our old Vaslin basket press with no SO2 or other additions. The juice is then wild-fermented in a mix of 225, 300 and 500 litre old oak barrels where the wines remain on their gross lees for 9-10 months before blending and bottling. We favour malolactic fermentation over early additions of sulphur dioxide, and the wines only see a first addition of SO2 in the early winter. We are looking for wines that show tension without losing their suppleness and core, and wines that will reward time in the cellar.