Thorne & Daughters, `Rocking Horse` Cape White Blend
Country: South Africa Region: Western Cape
Varietal: 30% Roussanne, 28% Chenin Blanc, 20% Chardonnay, 15% Semillon, 7% Clairette
Vintage: 2023 Colour: White Style: Dry
Producer: Thorne & Daughters
Producer Description:
Thorne & Daughters was started in 2013 by John and Tasha Seccombe with the aim of producing authentic wines from the Western Cape. It is widely acknowledged to be one of the forerunners of the ‘New Wave’ wine movement in South Africa. Thorne & Daughters is mainly focused on producing Cape white blends, from 15 different growers in Bot River, Stellenbosch, Voor Paardeberg, Swartland, Citrusdal, Franschhoek and Overberg. Fruit sourcing has relied on a network of close winemaking friends and knocking on doors to gather the various parcels with which they work. John and Tasha did not want to be limited
geographically, so the net was cast wide and has been driven by “a happy synergy of people, place, soil and vines”.
Vineyards:
The grapes for the Rocking Horse were sourced from a number of very carefully selected growers around the Western Cape. The Roussanne and the Chardonnay come from younger trellised vines, with an average age of 16 years planted in Stellenbosch and Paardeberg mountain on a combination of clay and decomposed granite. Semillon Blanc from Franschhoek, Clairette Blanche from Stellenbosch and Chenin Blanc from Paardeberg
add depth and textural complexity to this Cape white blend as they are sourced from old, low-yielding bush vines estimated to be approximately 40 years old.
Vinification:
The grapes undergo whole-bunch pressing with no treatments or additions to the juice, embracing a minimal intervention approach that allows the wine's natural character to emerge. Following pressing, the juice is racked from heavy solids and transferred to old oak barrels of various volumes. Fermentation proceeds naturally with indigenous yeasts, followed by spontaneous malolactic fermentation under careful observation. The wines are monitored closely over several months until they stabilize naturally, at which point minimal sulphur dioxide is added.
Product Features: Vegetarian, Vegan
Tasting Notes:
The 2023 vintage is a wine of layers and tension. A complex nose with aromas of peach, apple skin, flint and jasmine. The palate is tight and rounded with a honeyed texture and tropical notes of yuzu fruit, balanced with a crisp line of acidity and a long, almost saline finish.
Food Pairing: Grilled lobster, bouillabaisse, and scallops. Also creamy pastas, roasted chicken, and Mediterranean mezze platters.
Closure: Cork ABV: 13.5%
