Thorne & Daughters Snakes & Ladders 2019: A profound Sauvignon Blanc
'From a Skurfberg Sauvignon Blanc vineyard... an extravagant rendition of the variety.' – Christian Eedes
Besides their stellar Rocking Horse, the new Thorne & Daughters Snakes & Ladders Sauvignon Blanc is the 2019 release that impressed us the most. With a shy nose and creamy, textured palate, it is unlike any other Sauvignon Blanc produced in SA and more akin to the famed Monts Damnés Sancerre.
The fruit is from a special terroir, high up on the Citrusdal Mountain, that is home to the likes of Alheit’s Makstok and Huilkrans, Botanica’s Mary Delany and the Sadie Family’s Skurfberg. The 2019 Snakes & Ladders is from a 37-year-old Sauvignon Blanc block, adjacent to Chris Alheit’s Makstok vines, planted on similar soils of red sand over clay. With this small-batch, limited release, John Seccombe has vinified one of the most exciting takes on SA Sauvignon Blanc that we’ve ever tasted.
'My natural inclination was to have little interest in working with Sauvignon blanc, but seeing the vineyard and the soils, I felt compelled to work with it.' – John Seccombe
Christian Eedes was extremely excited about the 2019 Rocking Horse which is now firmly established as one of the finest Cape white blends. The 2019 vintage is more precise and detailed, which comes through on all these new releases.
The Wanderer’s Heart is a more serious wine in 2019 and calls for a bit of time in the cellar. More structured, it is built around Grenache and Mourvèdre as the backbone with some Syrah added to flesh it out. The Tin Soldier Sémillon Gris has a strong following and continues to be one of my favourite orange wines.
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