Thorne and Daughters

Thorne & Daughters

I first came across Thorne & Daughters when New Wave South Africa hit the UK in 2014, it was John and Tasha’s second vintage and I think, the first to be shipped to the UK.
It was a fruitful encounter as Thorne & Daughters shard facilities with two other New-wavers Chris Alheit and Peter-Allan Finlayson of Crystallum.
Allocations were tiny as everyone scrambled to get their hands on a couple of cases; these were wines made by individuals not estates, the back story for the first time was about the winemaking, not family trees. These young winemakers had worked vintages the world over – John received his degree in viticulture from Plumpton College in the UK, with stints at Ridgeview and Bride Valley before South Africa became his focus.
Back in 2014, Thorne & Daughters was mainly focused on Cape Whites; blends from grapes sourced by knocking on cellar doors of friends and winemakers – John and Tasha did not want to be limited by geography, tied to a single estate or terroir, but driven by, in John’s words ‘a happy synergy of people, place, soil and vines.’
Vinification is simple no additions of any sort. Fermented with indigenous yeasts, in old French oak; the whites tend to stay on the lees in various barrels from 225 – 600 litres until blending.The reds are gently extracted, with the inclusion of stems and whole clusters to avoid the need for new oak.

Rocking Horse, 2019 Cape White – from £23.99
A blend of Semillon, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Clairette and Roussanne
Tin Soldier, 2019 Swartland Semillon Gris – from £28.99
From a single parcel on the Paardeberg mountain in Swartland, which is believed to be the only 100% Semillon Gris vineyard in South Africa.
Cat’s Cradle, 2019 Swartland Chenin – from £28.99
A single parcel of old bush-vine Chenin Blanc in Paardeberg
Paper Kite, 2019 Swartland Semillon Blanc – from £31
100% Semillon Blanc, sourced from old bush vines on the Paardeberg mountain,
Snakes & Ladders, 2019 Sauvignon Blanc from £31
Sauvignon Blanc from a vineyard planted in 1985 on the Skurfberg mountain
Wanderer’s Heart from £23.99
is Thorne & Daughters’ Cape red blend. Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Grenache Gris, Mourvèdre and Syrah combine to create a layered wine with a brilliant lightness of touch, displaying cool-fruit and bright red berry perfumes.

All of these wines reveal a stylish, effortless character that typifies the dynamic winemaking scene in the Cape today.

If you would like something specific give us a call between 10:30m and 6:30pm on 01603 451098 and we’ll run through our options, of course if you prefer email then samuel@harperwells.com is coordinating online deliveries.