In Stock: Lourens Family Wines
He is such a nice guy, always smiling! Franco Lourens has just released his new vintages and here are his notes...
We've been waiting for the new Thorne & Daughters release and we received them a few weeks ago!
John says, 'Thorne and Daughters Wines was started in 2012 by John and Tasha Seccombe to produce authentic wines in the beautiful Western Cape where we have made our home. It has been a long journey that has taken us around the world and brought us back here to where we first met. We love the Cape, and we want to taste this air and this sunshine in our wines.
To produce our wines we’ve drawn on the great history of wine growing here in South Africa, putting together old vineyard parcels with new grape varieties, and making wines with old school simplicity and a modern ‘edge’. Our approach to wine making is simple, honest and gentle, and we are looking to make wines that tell a story of the Cape of Good Hope.'
Thorne & Daughters ‘Cat’s Cradle’ Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2021 WO Swartland
Christian Eedes: The nose shows lime and white peach but also some intriguing oxidative notes including some bruised apple, nuts and spice. The palate has a dense core of fruit and snappy acidity – it comes across as quite tense and reticent now but should drink beautifully in two to five years’ time. 94/100.
Thorne & Daughters ‘Snakes & Ladders’ Sauvignon Blanc 2021 WO Citrusdal Mountain
Christian Eedes: From Skurfberg Sauvignon Blanc. Spontaneously fermented and matured for approximately nine months in old oak. Exotic aromatics of elderflower, citrus, peach, granadilla and pineapple plus some leesy complexity. “We try to beat it down but it won’t quit,” says Seccombe. The palate has pure fruit and racy acidity before a dry finish. Good weight as you might expect. 92/100.
Thorne & Daughters ‘Tin Soldier’ Semillon Gris 2021 WO Swartland
Christian Eedes: From Swartland Semillon Gris, 50% fermented on the skins for one week. Complex aromatics of potpourri, citrus, peach, some nuttiness and spice. The palate shows great fruit depth matched by tangy acidity, the finish gently savoury. A wine full of captivating detail. 95/100.
Thorne & Daughters ‘Paper Kite’ Old Vine Semillon 2021 WO Swartland
Christian Eedes: From a 1963 Swartland vineyard. A change in winemaking saw the wine spend three months in new 500-litre barrels from Austrian cooperage Stockinger done to offset the variety’s natural propensity to become reductive – it has certainly added the wine a little more polish. The nose shows peach, naartjie, hay and a hint of waxiness while the palate is relatively rich and thick textured with nicely integrated acidity, the finish long and intensely savoury. 93/100.
Thorne & Daughters ‘Rocking Horse’ Cape White 2021 WO Western Cape
Christian Eedes: Sensational aromatics of green, white and yellow fruit, flowers, herbs and spice plus a touch of flinty reduction – very expressive but not at all vulgar or overwrought. The palate has great fruit definition, a lovely line of acidity and finish that is long and dry. Precisely made, the whole very much more than the sum of the parts. 97/100.
Thorne & Daughters ‘Menagerie’ Chardonnay 2020 WO Piekenierskloof & Ceres Plateau
The new Menagerie label is the home of small production wines, many of them one-offs, by John and his winery team. This Chardonnay will be a regular feature. A blend of two high altitude sites from Piekenierskloof and Ceres Plateau that bring vastly different characters to the final wine. Whole-bunch pressed into old oak for ferment, this wine is pure and expressive, without being too sculptured. Really lovely if limited.
There should always be an empty parking space in the corner next to our shop, but if not please feel free to stop directly in front of our shop while you are with us - this will save you time driving around looking for a parking space.
Please note that our website does not show the complete range of wine that we have in stock, so please do contact us if you are looking for something not listed online, especially those that are 'allocation' only. A reminder of our website: www.wineandco.co.za/shop
We offer free delivery in Hermanus, and free shipping to major centres around South Africa for orders over R1500.
Please contact us for international shipping rates.
- Monday to Saturday: 9am - 6pm.
- Sunday + Public holidays: 10am - 4pm.
Have you ever heard about a great wine but could never find a bottle for yourself (to share with friends, of course)? Well, the team at Wine & Company do all the hard work for you! We visit wine farms and attend tastings to find, taste, and then stock wine from the smaller Estates and independent winemakers who buy grapes and produce outstanding wine under their own labels – much the same as the French negociants have been doing for centuries. Given that these winemakers make wine in such small quantities, sometimes just a single barrel, their wine will never be found on the shelves of the major retailers, but only in specialist shops like Wine & Company on High Street, Hermanus.
In addition to the great selection of well-known wines and MCC's, we also stock local craft gin and beer, French Champagne, Belgian Ales as well as whisky and other spirits. Wine & Company (established in 1998 by Bartho Eksteen) has a well-earned reputation for stocking hard-to-find small-batch wines and we strive to continue this great tradition. If you purchase a bottle of wine from us and it is faulty we will gladly replace the bottle and return the faulty wine to the winemaker.
Feel free to contact Wine & Company if you need a particular wine and we will do our best to source it for you. We are also able to ship wine locally and to most countries so do ask about international shipping.
Thank you for your support - stay safe - see you soon!
Wine & Company is a speciality shop in Hermanus dealing in limited-edition wines, craft beer, artisanal gin and imported whisky. Over the years this long-established owner-run business has grown a favourable reputation with local and international wine connoisseurs. For your added convenience, Wine ...
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