Thorne & Daughters Tin Soldier 2018
I remember how excited I was when I picked up this wine.
I could not wait to open it up and try it!
The Wine:
Medium coppery gold with a medium nose of pretty citrus, orange blossoms and watery naartjie, honeysuckle, pawpaw, bruised ripe peaches, almonds, fynbos, ginger…and maybe a touch of cinnamon? They could bottle this fragrance and I would wear this!
Dry (though, deceivingly sweet until you pinch your nose), medium bodied with medium+ acidity. Again the pretty naartjie, lemon pith, maybe even peach, honey, salt, and a finish that hints at fynbos but is mostly kumquat skin and honey. Fair warning that the bruised, oxidised notes are quite potent on day two. I’d recommend finishing this wine in one sitting.
Vini + Viti:
6 year old Swartland Semillon Gris planted in granitic sand.
The majority of the grapes were skin fermented for roughly 10 days. 25-30% of the grapes whole bunch pressed. The grapes were foot stomped. Natural fermentation. The wine spent 9 months in wood. No fining or filtering.
Conclusion:
Balance (1) + Length (1) + Intensity (1) + Complexity (1) = An outstanding wine.
Drink now, not really suitable for further ageing.
Final Thoughts:
This shot straight up into my top 10 white wines for 2020. Migliarina Equilibrium, Jura chard, and this Semillon Gris. Dang!
