John Seccombe

The Beauty of Aged Whites – Tasting the Rare Maiden Release Thorne & Daughters Tin Soldier Semillon 2013…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Tin Soldier is a skin-fermented wine made from Semillon Gris, which is almost unique to South Africa, and a vestige of a time when Semillon was the grape on which the South African wine industry was built. This 2013 Tin Soldier however, John Seccombe’s maiden release, is from a different vineyard to the sélection massale of Semillon Gris that he currently uses from a Wine of Origin Swartland vineyard, which was planted with cuttings taken from an adjacent vineyard of Semillon that was planted in 1964.

As John Seccombe points out … “the interplay between savoury and sweet is a key point of interest in Tin Soldier, a skin-fermented wine made from Semillon Gris, which is almost unique to South Africa. The colour of the wine is unusual, having taken some bright copper tones from fermentation on skins. We continually aim to improve on our winemaking, and patience at picking time has allowed us to pick wines just that little bit riper and more complex without losing any elegance.”

Thorne and Daughters Tin Soldier 2013, WO Franschhoek, 13.13% Abv.

2.1g/l RS | 4.8g/l TA | 3.52pH

Bought on release, this perfectly cellared bottle of Tin Soldier Semillon 2013 has rewarded patience. With a pristine cork coming out the bottle, this beautifully aged Semillon only requires about half an hour to blow off any bottle aromas of sappy, honied lanolin and peach tea before starting to reveal a complex array of fragrances and flavours. With air, the bouquet yields notes of lavender, peaches in honey, sweet herbs, pithy orange peel, curry leaf, pink peppercorns and yellow orchard stone fruits. There are tertiary notes, but with every extra moment in the glass they diminish as the fruit develops. The palate is intriguingly dry and pithy, showing plenty of “Gris” phenolics and glycerol depth but expertly balance with a fresh, crisp tangy orange citrus acidity and grippy drying tannins on the finish. The lingering flavour in the mouth is almost like orange liquor with hints of vermouth, peaches and rooibos tea. This wine is a true testament to these fabulous old vine Semillon grapes (30 years old) of Franschhoek and to John Seccombe’s own winemaking genius. Drink now but certainly no rush as I can’t see this wine evolving rapidly, preferring to slumber in a certain gentle stasis. 

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Thorne and Daughters wines are available in the UK from Liberty Wines.

John Seccombe Fast Establishing his Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse White Blend as One of the Best in the Cape – Tasting the 2020 Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 1 Comment

Writing about and reviewing Cape White Blends has got to be one of my favourite pastimes. Why you may ask? Well, it’s all about the unique ability of the Cape producers to mix and match some truly expressive varieties to produce incredible wines that despite being a fruit salad of varieties, continue to display their own unique sense of terroir and place while producing wines of incredible quality with impressive age worthy credentials. Oh, and of course they are impossible to imitate and copy. Some countries like Chile and New Zealand have tried their hand at producing similar esoteric white blends but I think it’s safe to say none have gained an international following and quality reputation equal to any of the great brands from the Cape.

John Seccombe has been producing his unique Rocking Horse Cape White Blend since the 2013 vintage and every subsequent vintage seems to get more sophisticated and refined. As well as being one of the most exciting white blends in the Cape, it also represents incredible value for money, something that is becoming less and less common in the world of fine wine these days. This is most definitely a wine you would want in your cellar.

Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse 2020 Cape White Blend, WO Western Cape, 13.5% Abv.

A complex blend of 35% Semillon from Franschhoek, 28% Roussanne from both Stellenbosch and the Paardeberg, 16% Chardonnay from the Ceres Plateau, 15% Chenin Blanc from the Paardeberg and 6% Clairette Blanche from the Swartland. The aromatics display a seductive melange of white peach, green pear, freshly squeezed lime, tangerine peel and delicate hints of roasted pistachio nuts. Still embryonic in its youth, the palate reveals impressive linearity and tension, a fresh acid frame and delicious lingering notes of green apple, savoury yellow orchard fruits and bees wax complexity. There is more an educated sense of intensity and concentration on the palate rather than an overt unctuousness. But everything points to a very impressive wine with a fabulous stony minerality and a classically harmonious finish. Drink now over a couple of days or bury in the cellar for 3 to 5 years minimum.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Ups and Downs of Great Sauvignon Blanc – Tasting the Thorne & Daughters Snakes & Ladders 2019…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Made from fruit sourced from another Skurfberg vineyard owned by grower Basie van Lill, this Sauvignon Blanc vineyard planted in 1997 used to be sold off to a co-operative winery before John Seccombe secured the fruit for his maiden vintage of the Thorne & Daughters Snakes & Ladders Sauvignon Blanc.

Made from tiny yields of around 2.2 tons per hectare, the grapes were whole bunch pressed and fermented with wild yeast in mix of 225 and 600 litre old oak barrels where the wines remain on their gross lees for 9-10 months before blending and bottling. John Seccombe favours malolactic fermentation over early additions of sulphur dioxide, and the wines only see a first addition of SO2 in the early winter as they look for wines that show tension without losing their suppleness and core, and wines that will reward time in the cellar. The finished wines were bottled unfined.

John Seccombe succinctly sums up… “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.”

Thorne & Daughters Snakes & Ladders 2019, WO Citrusdal Mountain, 13.5% Abv.

From the first sniff, you know this is something special in the glass showing a beautifully complex nose of lemon grass, lime peel, white citrus and black currant leaf, crunchy white pear and subtle hints of bergamot. The palate is equally unique and utterly mesmerising showing a nervy steely liquid mineral core, oyster shell water and West Coast sea breeze nuances, a grassy sappy textural wood spice intensity and a fabulously tart complex finish with subtle hints of granadilla, naartjie peel and briney rock salt. Not really like any other Sauvignon Blanc on the South African market. Drink now to 2026+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Now distributed in the UK market by Liberty Wines.

The Crystalline Brilliance of John Seccombe – Tasting the Exceptional Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse 2018 White Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

I have been following the outstanding work of John Seccombe from the very beginning of his Thorne & Daughters label which was started in 2012 by John and wife Tasha with the aim to produce authentic wines in the beautiful Western Cape. John works with grapes from all over the Cape peninsula and seems to have honed a particularly refined aesthetic when it comes to his winemaking. His Thorne and Daughters family concern is truly pushing the boundaries with old vines and simple, natural winemaking techniques.

Sometimes other producer’s wines have been more highly lauded or more vocally praised but this certainly has nothing to do with the quality of John’s wines. Indeed, John must be one of the most modest, humble and intelligent winemakers plying his trade in the Cape… silently and brilliantly. John’s 2018 Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse Cape white blend incorporates several old vine heritage vineyards that looks more to Burgundy rather than the Rhône for its stylistic compass.

With the release of John’s 2019 Rocking Horse hitting the airwaves at the moment, I thought it would be the perfect time to retaste the impressive 2018 blend, a wine that got a lot of wine trade tongues wagging at the New Wave 2019 tasting in London last year. As the current release and the wine most widely available, the 2018 is certainly worth further examination.

Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse 2018 wWhite Blend, WO Western Cape, 13.2 Abv.

The 2018 is an exotic Mediterranean blend of 25% Roussanne, 22% Semillon, 19% Chardonnay, 18% Clairette Blanche and 16% Chenin Blanc. A rich straw yellow colour, the aromatics are complex and expressive brimming with notes of leesy lemon biscuits, white citrus, dried baking herbs, fynbos and thatch and dried tangerine peel. On the palate, the textural intricacy is notable as you would expect from a wine with 25% Roussanne in the blend, which lends extra dimensions of fleshy white stone fruit and marzipan depth. Naturally fermented in old oak, the 2018 shows the classical crystalline purity of the vintage framed by a tart lemon lime acidity and a stony, liquid mineral granitic complexity. Beautifully sensual and pristinely balance, every mouthful stimulates the senses and gives the drinker additional flavours to contemplate… crisp white peaches, crunchy green pears, granny smith apples, bay leaf herbal notes  and yet more green mango and saline twang on the long exhilarating finish. Impressively intense and taut for the vintage, this must be one of the most drop dead gorgeous white blends produced in the Cape at the moment. Drink now or age for 10+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW

Thorne & Daughters wines are distributed in the UK by Liberty Wines.

A Wonderful Maiden Red Release from Thorne & Daughters ~ Tasting the Wanderer’s Heart 2016 Red Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

John and Tasha Seccombe operating out of space at the Gabrielskloof Winery have established a massive international following for their deliciously opulent white wines over the past 5-6 years. So of course … that meant it was time for a red!

This maiden vintage was released in mid-2017 and has been met with high critical acclaim internationally. So with some very expensive Welsh lamb cutlets on the menu for Sunday lunch, this red seemed the perfect match! Oh, and what a beautifully designed label.

Thorne & Daughter’s Wanderer’s Heart 2016, WO Western Cape, 13.5 Abv.

An interesting red blend made from fruit sourced from all over the Cape including 69% Voor Paardeberg Grenache, 21% Bottelary Cinsault and 10% Bot River Mourvèdre. Unfined and unfiltered, this maiden vintage red was aged in old French oak barrels to create a wine with great purity. What immediately strikes you is an intensely perfumed nose full of violets, dried cranberries, red cherries, tart red plums and hints of black raspberries. A delectable melange of peppery red and black forest berries. The palate is crunchy and fresh with a complex, textured fleshy red berry fruited weight that also reveals savoury hints of dried herbs, raspberries, cranberry coulis and a defined underlying minerality of river pebbles and chalky tannins. The acids are pure and fresh adding a vibrancy and crystallinity without being tart. Light and fresh enough to drink slightly chilled, this impressive Grenache based blend is going to seduce a lot of drinkers now and over the next 10+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Thorne & Daughters Paper Kite Semillon 2016 ~ Another Contender for One of My Top 10 South African Whites of the Year…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, on a visit to see Peter Allan Finlayson at Gabrielskloof, I managed to also meet up with John Seccombe to taste his new vintages. John has been based at Gabrielskloof for a while now, leasing cellar space to produce his fantastic range of wines.


Last year, the Paperkite Semillon 2015 achieved one of my highest scores for a South African white and flew straight into my top 10, not an easy feat considering all the amazing 2015s that were on the market at the time. This year sees more of the same… and the 2016 version is another cracker!


Thorne & Daughters Paperkite Semillon 2016, 13.2 Abv.

A blend of 85 year old Semillon and 56 year old Semillon Gris from Siebrietskloof in the Paardeberg, the beauty has a rich opulent aromatic lift of lime peel, waxy lemons, white peach and tangerine peel. There are lovely dried herb nuances of thyme combined with sappy crushed leaves. The palate is creamy and intense, brimming with sweet pineapple pastille fruit concentration, tangy fig confit, granitic stoney minerality, finishing with a massively long finish that resonates around the back palate. Wow… A really profound, expressive fine wine. Chase it… buy it… drink it!

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)