Thorne & Daughters Tin Soldier Swartland Semillon Gris 2024

Thorne & Daughters Tin Soldier Swartland Semillon Gris

Region: Swartland, South Africa

Vintage: 2024

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Semillon Gris

ABV: 13%

The ‘Tin Soldier’ is deep yellow with copper tones, from the fermentation on skins. On the nose there distinct aromas of tea leaves, yellow peach, warm toast and grapefruit. The palate is rich, textured and creamy, balanced by refreshing salinity and finishes on a long generous note of spiced apple and ginger.

The Semillon Gris grapes for the ‘Tin Soldier’ are sourced from a single vineyard in the “Siebritskloof” (Siebret's Valley) on Swartland’s Paardeberg mountain. The vineyard was planted with cuttings of Semillon Gris taken from the old bush vine vineyard where the Semillon for the ‘Paper Kite’ comes from and is believed to be the only 100% Semillon Gris vineyard in South Africa. The soils are granitic sand and the seven-year-old vines are trellised.

The wine underwent a seven-day skin contact fermentation for around 10 days to extract tannins and develop colour. Extraction was carefully managed to preserve the wine's delicate character while building complexity. A portion of directly pressed wine was incorporated to enhance the aromatic profile and achieve balance between fruit and savoury elements. Fermentation took place in 225-litre old French oak barrels. After fermentation, the wine underwent spontaneous malolactic fermentation and was aged in barrel on its lees.

Thorne & Daughters is widely acknowledged as one of the forerunners of the ‘New Wave’ wine movement in South Africa. Since 2013, John and Tasha Thorne-Seccombe have been producing innovative wines sourced from selected growers across the Western Cape.

https://www.thorneanddaughters.com