Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse Cape White Blend 2021
The Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse Cape White Blend takes its name from a wooden rocking horse that was made out of old oak barrel staves for John and Tasha's eldest daughter. It is the cornerstone wine of Thorne & Daughters as it embodies their spirit of craftsmanship and self reliance. Rocking Horse is a blend of Semillon, Roussanne, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Clairette sourced from a number of parcels around the Western Cape. Once at the winery the grapes were whole bunch pressed in an old Vaslin press, which ensures an oxidative pressing and yields a very clear juice. The juice was left to settle overnight then racked off the heavy solids and transferred to old French oak barrels ranging in size from 225 litres to 600 litres. Fermentation occurred naturally in barrel and the wines were then allowed to undergo spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Sulphur dioxide was first added in August following the vintage when the wines had had time to settle. The Rocking Horse spent approximately 10 months on its fine lees after fermentation, prior to blending and bottling. Deep gold in colour it displays aromas of yellow plum, kumquat kiwi fruit, mace, apple skin and yellow flowers. The palate is tight and rounded with a honeyed texture and a long, almost saline finish.
