Thorne & Daughters Snakes & Ladders Sauvignon Blanc Western Cape 2022

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”.

The Sauvignon Blanc grapes for the ‘Snakes & Ladders’ are sourced from the Citrusdal Mountain district from a vineyard high up on the slopes of the Skurfberg mountain. This remote area, more known for rooibos tea and sheep farming, has a few isolated parcels of grapes. The dry-farmed, 35-year-old bush vines are planted on deep red sandy soils over clay. The old bush vines are low yielding and produce incredibly concentrated grapes which are harvested by hand.

An atypical South African Sauvignon Blanc which does away with overbearing primary fruit. The nose boasts aromas of blackberry leaf, wild grass and herbal nuances along with honey melon, ripe citrus and a flinty, earthy smokiness. The palate is bold with a voluptuous structure balanced by a bracing acidity that carries the flavours onto the lasting finish.