Thorne & Daughters Tin Soldier Semillon Gris

Thorne & Daughters is a creative, small producer founded in 2012 by John and Tasha Seccombe in the Western Cape of South Africa, known for championing heritage grape varieties and low intervention winemaking. The Tin Soldier Semillon Gris comes from a single, carefully selected vineyard on the Paardeberg mountain in the Swartland known as Siebritskloof, and is the only 100% Semillon Gris vineyard in South Africa. The vines were established from cuttings taken from an adjacent old Semillon block and planted on granite sand soils with excellent drainage. Semillon Gris is a rare red skinned mutation of the classic Semillon grape, once the backbone of the Cape wine industry, now mostly forgotten. The name Tin Soldier reflects Semillon’s historic role as the “foot soldier” of winemaking in the region and the wine’s distinctive character, with many parcels farmed using lutte raisonnée methods to encourage soil health and vineyard balance while expressing the unique terroir of this site.

For The Thorne & Daughters Tin Soldier Semillon Gris, depending on the vintage, between 40 to 50% of the Semillon Gris grapes undergo skin contact fermentation to build colour, structure and tannin. These grapes were also fermented on their skins with indigenous yeasts for around 7 to 10 days before pressing, allowing careful extraction while retaining delicacy and complexity. The remaining portion of the grapes were whole bunch pressed and fermented separately, then the two components were blended to create both aromatic lift and savoury depth. After fermentation, the wine underwent spontaneous malolactic fermentation and was matured on lees in old French oak barrels for several months to develop texture and balance.The colour displays an amber hue and bright notes of citrus and orange peel, apricot, marzipan and ginger spice with a savoury, textured palate and refreshing acidity. This distinctive wine pairs beautifully with fresh oysters, citrus dressed salads, grilled prawns and dishes featuring herbs or light spice, highlighting both a richness and a crispness.