Thorne & Daughters' "Cat's Cradle" Swartland Chenin Blanc is a vibrant and complex expression of Chenin Blanc, bursting with aromas of white stone fruit, lemon thyme, and almond. On the palate, this wine has a creamy texture and delightful balance of precise and concentrated flavours that linger on the finish. A pure and bright expression of Chenin Blanc from the Swartland.

Critic Review

Decanter Magazine: 95Pts
Drinking Window: 2023 - 2030

"Grapes for Cat’s Cradle come from an old bush vineyard in Langkloof on the granitic soils of the Paardeberg mountains. The 2021 vintage provided much-needed rain during the winter after five years of drought. The wine is made with as little intervention as possible, whole-bunch pressed into old oak barrels where it sits for fermentation, malolactic and maturation. Minimal SO2 is used throughout the process. Greg Sherwood MW: A savoury ‘Marmite’ expression, earthy yellow fruits, musky undertones, hints of chalk dust and a vibrant palate of sweet and sour fruits. Punchy and persistent. Beverley Blanning MW: Mineral nose. Floats across the tongue, but its flavours are stern and mineral. Not a hint of sweetness here. Gorgeous saline finish with mineral bite. Roger Jones: Juicy and fruit-led with darkness in the background. Sultanas and baked apples with a fresh splash of apple dust vibrancy. Gripping and fresh."
Greg Sherwood MW, Beverley Blanning MW, Roger Jones

About the Producer

Thorne & Daughters was started in 2013 by John and Tasha Seccombe with the aim of producing authentic wines from the Western Cape. It is widely acknowledged to be one of the forerunners of the ‘New Wave’ wine movement in South Africa. Thorne & Daughters is mainly focused on producing Cape white blends, from 15 different growers in Bot River, Stellenbosch, Voor Paardeberg, Swartland, Citrusdal, Franschhoek and Overberg. Fruit sourcing has relied on a network of close winemaking friends and knocking on doors to gather the various parcels with which they work. John and Tasha did not want to be limited geographically, so the net was cast wide and has been driven by “a happy synergy of people, place, soil and vines”.

Vineyard and Winery

The Chenin Blanc grapes for the ‘Cat's Cradle’ are sourced from a single vineyard planted in 1979 in the ‘Langkloof’ (Long Valley) on Swartland’s Paardeberg mountain. The soils are composed of decomposed granite and the 40-year-old bush vines produce small yields of very concentrated fruit. The vineyards are farmed sustainably and the grapes are harvested by hand.

Upon arrival at the winery, the Chenin Blanc grapes were whole bunch pressed in an old Vaslin press. This ensured an oxidative and very gentle pressing - yielding a very clear juice. The juice was left to settle overnight and was then racked into old, 600-litre French oak barrels for fermentation with natural yeasts. After fermentation, the wine underwent spontaneous malolactic fermentation and then aged in barrel on its lees. No sulphur additions were made until August following the vintage once the wine had had time to settle. The final blend was assembled in November and was bottled at the end of December to make way for the wines of the following vintage.