Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse 2022

RATINGS

Vivino: 4.1 | Tim Atkin: 95 points | Platter's: 5 stars

TASTING NOTES

Rocking Horse is our cornerstone wine and it takes its name from a wooden rocking horse that we made for our daughters out of old oak barrel staves. This is our signature wine and it is where all our work comes together to showcase our vision for a Cape White Blend.

The wine is composed from a number of carefully selected vineyard sites in the Western Cape. Semillon Blanc (35%) from Franschhoek, grown on 39 years old alluvial soils; Roussanne (28%) from Stellenbosch and Paardeberg, grown on 13 years old decomposed granite/clay soils; Chenin Blanc (14%) from Paardeberg, grown on 43 years old decomposed granite; Chardonnay (13%) from the Ceres Plateau, grown on clay; Clairette Blanche (10%) from Worcester, grown on 44 years old alluvial soils.

Our vineyard selection supports our vision to deliver a blended Cape White wine of depth, texture and subtlety. In sourcing Roussanne, Chardonnay, Semillon, Clairette Blanche and Chening Blanc, we are looking for both heritage and more recently establish vineyards which all bring their own unique elements and ability to 'speak' about the place in which they are grown.

The winemaking remains simple. Our primary challenge during the harvest is to ensure that we pick all of our far-flung blocks at the right time and get them back to the winery in perfect condition. Once this is achieved, we revert to working with very little in the way of 'winemaking technique'..

A layered and complex nose reveals green pineapple, kumquat, nori, and lime leaf, leading into a nervy focused palate of citrus, ginger and stone fruit with a long taut, slightly saline finish.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS