Royal Gold in a Glass: The Story Behind Treskilling Yellow

I

posthouseAdmin1

When strolling through a wine cellar or browsing an estate collection, you expect to encounter stories of terroir, oak barrels, and family traditions. At Post House Wines, located in the historic 19th-century Raithby post office homestead between Somerset West and Stellenbosch, our stories take a fascinating turn into the world of global postal history and rare philately.

Among our most prized, luxurious releases is The Treskilling Yellow.

To the uninitiated, the name might sound like an enigmatic medieval tale. But to stamp collectors and historians, the Treskilling Yellow represents the single most valuable, famous, and sought-after misprinted postage stamp in human history.

Just as that legendary 1855 stamp gained its immense value by being printed in a unique, luminous yellow hue, our Treskilling Yellow stands out as a golden gem in the Post House collection—a rare, matured 100% Chenin Blanc / Noble Late Harvest crafted for extraordinary longevity.

Here is the story behind this world-record stamp error and the liquid gold inside our bottle.

The Philatelic Mystery: What Is the Treskilling Yellow?

In 1855, the Kingdom of Sweden issued its very first nationwide postage stamps. The denomination for three skilling banco was meant to be printed in a soft blue-green ink, while the eight-skilling stamp was printed in a vibrant yellow-orange.

During one fateful printing press run, a single cliché (the individual metal printing block) of the 8-skilling stamp was accidentally placed into the 3-skilling printing plate. The result? A single sheet—or perhaps just a single surviving stamp—was printed in brilliant yellow ink instead of blue-green.

============================================================
           THE TRESKILLING YELLOW AT A GLANCE
============================================================
• THE ORIGIN:         1855 Swedish 3-skilling banco stamp error
• THE COLOUR:         Accidentally printed in brilliant yellow ink
• THE STATUS:         The only known surviving specimen in existence
• THE VALUE:          Sold at international auctions for millions of dollars
• THE WINE:           100% Matured Chenin Blanc / Noble Late Harvest Reserve
============================================================

For decades, the misprint went entirely unnoticed. It wasn’t until 1886 that a 14-year-old Swedish schoolboy named Georg Wilhelm Backman was sorting through his grandmother’s old mail cover envelopes and spotted the strange yellow 3-skilling stamp.

He sold it to a local dealer for seven kronor—enough money at the time to buy a nice suit. Over the following century, as experts confirmed that no other yellow copy existed anywhere in the world, the stamp changed hands among royalty, secretive billionaires, and international auction houses, consistently setting record prices as the most expensive small item by weight on Earth.

From Rare Stamp to Liquid Gold: The Post House Chenin Reserve

Why name a matured Chenin Blanc after a famous Swedish printing blunder?

Our farm’s central homestead served as the primary Post Office for the local missionary community of Raithby throughout the 1800s. When winemaking began on the property, we chose to honor that history by aligning our wines with historic dispatches, postal routes, and famous stamp errors.

While many white wines are bought to be enjoyed in their youthful freshness, Treskilling Yellow is a “Reserve” style, matured expression crafted specifically for richness, concentration, and long aging potential.

The name fits the wine in two extraordinary ways:

  1. The Luminous Yellow Hue: In the glass, the wine exhibits a deep, radiant golden-yellow color—a direct visual parallel to the famous yellow stamp!
  2. Singular Rarity: Like the stamp itself, this wine represents a rare, opulent expression of South African Chenin Blanc that showcases Tertiary complexity rarely found in younger releases.

Terroir, Craftsmanship & Opulent Concentration

Grown on our ocean-facing slopes in Raithby—where cooling breezes from False Bay extend the ripening period—our Chenin Blanc grapes absorb maximum sunshine while retaining high natural acidity.

Whether crafted as a luscious Noble Late Harvest or an intensely concentrated matured white reserve, Treskilling Yellow showcases the pinnacle of what old-vine Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc can achieve when given time in premium oak and bottle maturation.

+------------------------------------+------------------------------------+
| ATTRIBUTE                          | PROFILE & ANALYSIS                 |
+------------------------------------+------------------------------------+
| • Varietal                         | 100% Chenin Blanc                   |
| • Color                            | Deep, luminous amber & golden-yellow|
| • Style                            | Rich, full-bodied & sweet / matured|
| • Mouthfeel                        | Creamy, mouth-coating & powerful   |
+------------------------------------+------------------------------------+

The Power of Natural Aging

Time in the cellar transforms Chenin Blanc from simple citrus and green apple notes into a rich, contemplative masterpiece. The natural sugars, intense fruit concentration, and balanced acidity allow Treskilling Yellow to age gracefully for 8+ years in the bottle.

Detailed Tasting Notes

Poured into a glass, Treskilling Yellow immediately captures attention with its deep, luminous golden-yellow and amber clarity.

  • On the Nose: A sophisticated, highly evolved bouquet opens with upfront aromas of wild honey, honeyed walnuts, dried apricots, and orange marmalade. As the wine breathes in the glass, rich layers of baked quinces, pineapple, toasted hazelnuts, and a subtle flinty minerality emerge.
  • The Palate: Full-bodied, sweet, and incredibly powerful. The palate is voluptuous and creamy, reminiscent of classic Sauternes. Flavors of preserved stone fruits, vanilla bean, and dark honey flood the mouth.
  • The Finish: Despite its opulent sweetness and concentration, a brilliant backbone of natural acidity keeps the wine vibrant, leading into an extraordinarily long, savory finish of ginger spice and roasted almonds.

Culinary Pairings & Serving Suggestions

To fully appreciate the immense depth of Treskilling Yellow, we recommend serving it slightly warmer than a standard young white—around 12°C to 14°C—to allow its complex aromatics to open up.

1. Rich Seafood & Decadent Starters

  • Butter-basted lobster tails or seared sea scallops.
  • Seared foie gras or rich duck liver pate served with toasted brioche.
  • Creamy seafood chowder or bisque.

2. Spiced Cuisine & Roasted Poultry

  • Traditional Cape Malay chicken curry or Moroccan lamb tagine with dried apricots.
  • Roast duck breast with an orange glaze or roast turkey with stuffing.

3. Blue Cheeses & Desserts

  • Pairs magnificently alongside blue cheeses like Roquefort, Stilton, or Gorgonzola.
  • Enjoy alongside fruit tarts, crème brûlée, or spiced apple crumble.

Experience Treskilling Yellow Direct from the Estate

Whether you are seeking a contemplative dessert wine, an extraordinary gift for a wine collector, or a piece of liquid postal history, Treskilling Yellow represents South African Chenin Blanc at its absolute finest.

Leave a Reply