Thorne & Daughters, Tin Soldier Semillon 2020

From a six-year-old vineyard of Semillon Gris established using material from the Paper Kite site. 70% skin fermented for some 10 days and 30% whole-bunch pressed

A new and exciting venture (its first releases were in 2014) focusing on parcels of South Africa's rich and increasingly sought-after resource of old vineyards. John Thorne Seccombe and his photographer wife Tasha began their winemaking adventure sharing space with fellow 'young guns' and friends Chris and Suzaan Alheit. Both now use cellar space at Gabrielskloof in the Cape South Coast region just outside Bot River, but grapes are sourced wherever they meet the high quality and interest bar that the Seccombes have set for themselves. John was born in South Africa and came to wine by working in the restaurant business in the UK, where he went on to study viticulture and oenology at Plumpton College. He worked harvests around the world before settling with wife Tasha in the Western Cape in 2009. Only a tiny amount of red has been produced to date, but it is the whites which quickly hit the headlines, in particular the Rocking Horse Cape white blend, even in its maiden 2013 vintage.