Bartho Eksteen | Houtskool | 2018
Bartho Eksteen | Houtskool | 2018
This is an extremely small batch wine with only 507 bottles made! The 2018 vintage has upped the Semillon of this elegant Bordeaux style white such that the Houtskool is now half Sauvignon Blanc and half Semillon, wild-fementated in old French oak after which it’s left to mature on lees for 10 months. We purchased as much of the Houtskool as possible from Bartho and he’s now all sold out so unfortunately when it’s all gone we won’t have more until next vintage!
Nose & Palate
A fresh concentration of lime and apple with a crisp saline streak. Citrus follows onto the palate with a rich creaminess and a long stony finish.
Pairing
Something salty and rich - seared scallops with beurre blanc sauce.
Accolades
4 ½ stars (93 Points) - Platter’s 2020 SA Wine Guide | 91 Points - Tim Atkin 2020 SA Wine Report
About the Winery
Bartho Eksteen Wijnskool in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley is a family wine farm that can trace their involvement in South African wine farming back to 1702. The Eksteen family moved around the winelands for a few hundred years with Bartho’s grandfather finally settling in Franschhoek working on the family farm, La Bri, which is where Bartho developed his own passion. Bartho quickly made a name for himself in the wine industry: Diners Club Winemaker of the Year 2010, numerous Platters 5 Star Awards, Best Sauvignon Blanc in the world from Tim Atkin MW.
Bartho and his wife, Suné, also started up the Wijnskool (wine school) back in 2011 to impart some of their winemaking knowledge and inspire high school students with hopes of joining the wine industry.