A fragrant celebration of one of the Cape’s oldest grape varieties.
Thorne and Daughters is a family affair, and aptly its wines are named for archetypal childrens’ toys. John and Tasha Seccombe began the project in 2012 in a small Overberg cellar, drawing on old parcels of vines and heritage grapes to tell new stories.
“We’re raising our handcrafted wines along with our two daughters,” says John. They have quickly made a name for themselves with their minimalist natural wines.
Back to basics
John describes his winemaking as ‘stripped back to the basics’ and “with a clear and precise aesthetic. Nothing more or less than what is needed to express the site clearly.”
The names of the wines are pure nostalgia, and include Rocking Horse, Snakes & Ladders, Paper Kite, and Tin Soldier.
“Tin Soldier in reference to semillon’s ‘status as a footsoldier” in the Cape winelands when it was so ubiquitously planted in the early days of the industry,” shares John.
Semillon gris is the red mutation of semillon blanc. One of the Cape’s oldest varieties, semillon ruled the national vineyard in the early 1800s, and joined chenin as a building block for the brandy industry. It was so common it was simply called ‘groendruif’, translating to ‘green grape’ from Afrikaans.
Part of our vinous heritage
Once only really found in old vine blocks, the vineyard for the Tin Soldier is proving it in fact can be propagated. The block for the wine was established through the process of massale selection from cuttings taken from a vineyard planted in 1963.
“Semillon gris is a small part of our vinous heritage in South Africa, something that is almost unique to our winelands,” adds John. He’s right, we seem to own the TV rights to the grape, with not much evidence of it growing elsewhere. “This mutation is part of what makes our South African expression of this classical Bordeaux variety so special. I love how we have found our own expressions of varieties that have found themselves very far from their spiritual homes in France.”
What’s next for Thorne & Daughters? “We would love to own some land and tend our own vines, but at the moment we are just focused on making better wines from our existing selection. The range has expanded very organically but seems to be in a good place. “I am a very curious person so there is always room for one more wine if we find a site that calls to me.”
Thorne & Daughters Tin Soldier 2023
Tin Soldier is 100% skin-fermented semillon gris. Bright copper in colour, it’s as fragrant as a steaming cup of tea; bergamot, orange rind, apricot, lavender flowers, and hint of baking bread. The palate is waxy with apples and citrus unfolding to richer, spicier notes of gingerbread, lemon creams. The texture is tea-like too, beautifully dry with a faint veil of grippy tannins as it goes savoury to the finish.
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