Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse 2014
By Christian Eedes, 10 March 2015
Share:
4
Thorne & Daughters winemaker John Seccombe.
A first peek at the 2014 vintage of the Cape white blend that is Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse. A blend of 35% Chenin Blanc (Bottelary and Swartland), 28% Roussanne (Voor Paardeberg), 22% Semillon (Franschhoek), 14% Chardonnay and 1% Viognier (both Overberg), it was matured in old oak for some 10 months.
The nose is extraordinarily complex – lime, peach, red apple, dried herbs, some pleasant oxidative character and even liquorice! Fantastic fruit concentration – really succulent – and lip-smacking acidity before a wonderfully long finish – dry, pithy, even bitter (it takes courage to leave that kind of detail in rather than polish out). Rendered with care and imagination and I believe a small step up on the 2013, which itself was a knock-out wine. To be released in May.
Score: 95/100.
Thorne & Daughters Zoetrope 2014
New to the Thorn & Daughters portfolio is a single-variety Chardonnay from the same 35-year-old vineyard that supplies grapes for Rocking Horse.
Citrus, blossom, spice but also more oxidative notes of oatmeal biscuit and a little nuttiness. Broad with relatively soft acidity (the wine underwent full malolactic fermentation) before a nicely dry finish. Idiosyncratic but engaging. To be released in May.
Score: 92/100.
Share:
Jane10 March 2015
This was posted as a related article on my Facebook feed… http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pd6XkLxZwi0
David Clarke10 March 2015
Just wait for the Zoetrope to lose its puppy-fat….
Christian Eedes10 March 2015
SA Chardonnay. Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight. Equally, don’t bring a gun to a knife fight…
Kwispedoor10 March 2015
The best compliment one could give this wine is to say that it’s better than the 2013.