Wine prices
| Reference | Vintage / size | Price / bottle | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Producer priceRecommended retail price | 2025 / 750ml | ≈ $27.69Original ZAR 455.00≈ €24.64 · £20.81 | www.exanimo.co.za ↗ |
| Producer priceRecommended retail price | 2024 / 750ml | ≈ $27.69Original ZAR 455.00≈ €24.64 · £20.81 | www.exanimo.co.za ↗ |
| Producer priceRecommended retail price | 2023 / 750ml | ≈ $27.69Original ZAR 455.00≈ €24.64 · £20.81 | www.exanimo.co.za ↗ |
2025 Technical Specifications
Alcohol 13.62%
Residual Sugar 1.6 g/L
pH 3.23
Total Acidity 6.3 g/L
Calories (estimated) 115 kcal / glass
150ml glass115 kcal
750ml bottle575 kcal
Grape Varieties 100% Chenin Blanc
Classification Wine of Origin Swartland
Region Swartland
Soil Predominantly granite-derived soils, Including decomposed granite and iron-rich sands
Vine Age 42–46-year-old vineyards; 44-year-old vineyard portion
Fermentation Vessels Old oak barrels
Pressing Method Whole-Bunch Pressed In A Vaslin Horizontal Basket Press With Two Plates
Natural Yeast Yes
Production Details Whole bunches were pressed, followed by rough settling and natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in old oak barrels. No sulfur dioxide was added to the juice; sulfur dioxide was added late in winter and again at bottling, with levels kept as low as possible.
Tasting Notes Apple tarte tatin, barley sugar, frangipane florals, beeswax, salty almonds, light honey, ripe yellow fruits, elderflower; long, textured and full finish
2024 Technical Specifications
Alcohol 13.97%
Residual Sugar 2.4 g/L
pH 3.4
Total Acidity 5.6 g/L
Calories (estimated) 115 kcal / glass
150ml glass115 kcal
750ml bottle575 kcal
Grape Varieties Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc100%
Region Swartland
Soil Decomposed granite, Iron-rich sands
Vine Age 41-45 years old, 43 years old
Fermentation Vessels Oak Barrel
Natural Yeast Yes
Production Details The tail end of 2023 was distinctly unsummery with one of the coldest, wettest Decembers on record. In January it felt like we had “stepped through the looking glass” with one of the hottest and driest January months in a long time. It certainly set the tone for quite a frenetic start to the harvest. The dry and hot weather in January and February did create a lot of pressure to consider earlier picking dates and my gut feeling was that sugar accumulation was running a little ahead of flavour ripeness in a number of our vineyards. The call I made was to hang back a little and not pick too early. The resulting wines were big, bold and very expressive from early on. I would say we are averaging 0.5% more alcohol across the board on the 2024 wines and a touch less acidity, but I think we made the best picking decisions to capitalise on more abundant flavour profiles. Chenin blanc on granite is something that we have worked with for all the years that we have been making our Thorne and Daughters wines, though Cat’s Cradle was only first released in 2017 as a single vineyard wine from the granite soils of the Paardeberg. The vision for this wine has evolved a bit and we are bringing in other small bits of old vine fruit from other soils in the Swartland to bring some more dimensions to the wine. I’ve really enjoyed that extra layer of buttery yellow fruit that the Nuweland portion (more iron-rich red granite-derived soils) brings to the wine. The approach in the cellar is pure simplicity. The grapes are whole-bunch pressed in our Vaslin press (a big horizontal basket with two plates). No SO2 is added to the juice. A rough settling follows pressing after which the wines undergo natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in old oak barrels. We add some sulphur dioxide late in the winter, and then again at bottling, keeping the level of sulphur dioxide as low as possible. The result is a wine that shows tension without losing it’s suppleness and core, and one that will reward time in the cellar.
Tasting Notes
apple tarte tatin, barley sugar, frangipane florals, beeswaxy, salty almonds, light honey, ripe yellow fruits, elderflower
Sources: www.thorneanddaughters.com ↗ · Compare this vintage
2023 Technical Specifications
Alcohol 13.07%
Residual Sugar 3.1 g/L
pH 3.32
Total Acidity 6 g/L
Calories (estimated) 110 kcal / glass
150ml glass110 kcal
750ml bottle550 kcal
Grape Varieties Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc100%
Region Swartland
Soil Decomposed granite, Iron-rich sands
Vine Age 44 year old,42 years old
Fermentation Vessels Oak Barrel
Natural Yeast Yes
Unfiltered Yes
Production Details The 2022/23 growing season started with a relatively warm and dry winter, with lots of rain in December. The Paardeberg portion was off long before the late February rain started to fall. The Malmesbury portion did hang through one shower of rain. Winemaking is kept simple and natural. The grapes are whole-bunch pressed in an old basket press. No additions of sulphur dioxide were made on the juice. A rough settling follows pressing after which the wines undergo natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in old oak barrels. Sulphur dioxide is added late in the winter, and then again at bottling, keeping the level of sulphur dioxide as low as possible.
Tasting Notes
Chinese pear, yellow apple, lime leaves, salty almonds, light honey, elderflower
Sources: www.thorneanddaughters.com ↗ · Compare this vintage
2022 Technical Specifications
Alcohol 13.07%
Residual Sugar 1.9 g/L
pH 3.31
Total Acidity 6.1 g/L
Calories (estimated) 110 kcal / glass
150ml glass110 kcal
750ml bottle550 kcal
Grape Varieties Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc100%
Region Swartland
Soil Granite
Vine Age 44 year old
Fermentation Vessels Old Oak Barrel
Pressing Method Whole Cluster
Natural Yeast Yes
Oak Types old oak
Unfiltered Yes
Production Details An enormous amount of work goes into the vineyard during the growing season to ensure that the vineyard can carry a healthy and balanced crop. Picking is done with a clear eye on the acidity of the crop which can fall away dramatically during the harvest due to the paucity of these granite based soils. This is a very clear and bright expression of Chenin blanc, with aromas of frangipani, yellow pear, raw honey and straw. A nuanced palate is full of ripe yellow apples, oatcakes and grapefruit rind. The finish is long, textured and pithy. This is a wine that will reward some time in the cellar to allow its full aromatic expression to develop. The grapes are whole-bunch pressed in an old basket press and there are no additions of sulphur dioxide made on the juice. A rough settling follows pressing after which the wines undergo natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in old oak barrels. We add some sulphur dioxide late in the winter, and then again at bottling, keeping the level of sulphur dioxide as low as possible. The result is wines that show tension without losing their suppleness and core, and wines that will reward time in the cellar.
Tasting Notes
Nose: frangipani, yellow pear, raw honey, straw
Palate: ripe yellow apples, oatcakes, grapefruit rind
Sources: www.thorneanddaughters.com ↗ · Compare this vintage
2021 Technical Specifications
Alcohol 12.01%
Residual Sugar 2 g/L
pH 3.22
Total Acidity 7 g/L
Calories (estimated) 100 kcal / glass
150ml glass100 kcal
750ml bottle500 kcal
Grape Varieties Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc100%
Region Swartland
Soil Granite
Vine Age 41 year old
Fermentation Vessels Oak Barrel
Pressing Method Whole Cluster
Natural Yeast Yes
Production Details The 2020/2021 growing season was particularly cool and had the benefit of some rain during the winter. Although it was a big relief after 5 years of drought, overall rainfalls were still below average. Cool conditions during flowering meant that our yields were not very high, but the long cool growing season allowed us to pick our Chenin blanc at good ripeness levels without fear of the dreaded heatwaves that are normally plagued with in January and February. The Cat's Cradle vineyard continues to deliver wines that have wonderful energy and focus derived from the poor granitic soils on which it is planted. The 2021 wine has a laser-line of acidity running through it, all outlined by clean citrus flavours, pithy texture and wonderful length. We've kept our winemaking simple and natural, as we have no desire to stand between the vineyard and its expression as a wine in the glass. The grapes are whole-bunch pressed in an old basket press and there are no additions of sulphur dioxide made on the juice. A rough settling follows pressing after which the wines undergo natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in old oak barrels. We add some sulphur dioxide late in the winter, and then again at bottling, keeping the level of sulphur dioxide as low as possible. The result is wines that show tension without losing their suppleness and core, and wines that will reward time in the cellar.
Tasting Notes
lemon, apple blossom, exotic waxes, honey, textured palate, wet stone freshness
Sources: thorneanddaughters.com ↗ · Compare this vintage
2020 Technical Specifications
Alcohol 13.1%
Residual Sugar 2.1 g/L
pH 3.35
Total Acidity 6.2 g/L
Calories (estimated) 110 kcal / glass
150ml glass110 kcal
750ml bottle550 kcal
Grape Varieties Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc100%
Region Swartland
Soil Granite
Fermentation Vessels Oak Barrel
Pressing Method Whole Cluster
Natural Yeast Yes
Used Oak Only Yes
Production Details The 2020 was the beginning of the end of the terrible drought that afflicted the Cape over the last few years, and it was refreshing to be working with some water during the growing season. That said, many of the vineyards were still feeling the hangover of the drought and their reserves were very depleted. 2020 was a relatively early harvest because of this and it was not a year to wait around for high ripeness levels. I think the previous years provided a good training ground for making sure that we picked the 2020 grapes early enough. That said, many of the wines were naturally a touch riper which has lent a lovely generosity to the vintage. Chenin blanc on granite is something that we have worked with for all the years that we have been making our Thorne and Daughters wines, though Cat's Cradle was only first released in 2017 as a single vineyard wine. Overall in the industry, yields were up around 8% due to the increased water availability, but in the case of the Langkloof vineyard our yields were still very low due to cool, windy conditions during flowering, so unfortunately we still made very little wine from this vineyard in 2020. We've kept our winemaking simple and natural, as we have no desire to stand between the vineyard and its expression as a wine in the glass. The grapes are whole-bunch pressed in an old basket press and there are no additions of sulphur dioxide made on the juice. A rough settling follows pressing after which the wines undergo natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in old oak barrels. We add some sulphur dioxide late in the season, and then again at bottling, keeping the level of sulphur dioxide as low as possible. The result is wines that show tension without losing their suppleness and core, and wines that will reward time in the cellar.
Tasting Notes
poached pear, quince, lemon thyme, bright acidity, wet stone
Sources: thorneanddaughters.com ↗ · Compare this vintage
2019 Technical Specifications
Alcohol 12.86%
Residual Sugar 1.6 g/L
pH 3.29
Total Acidity 6.1 g/L
Calories (estimated) 105 kcal / glass
150ml glass105 kcal
750ml bottle525 kcal
Grape Varieties Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc100%
Region Swartland
Soil Decomposed granite
Vine Age 40 year old
Fermentation Vessels Oak Barrel
Pressing Method Whole Cluster
Natural Yeast Yes
Oak Types old oak
Production Details Swartland Chenin blanc needs no introduction, having long assumed its place among the world's key expressions of Chenin blanc. Langkloof, where we source our grapes for this wine, is an old bush vine Chenin blanc vineyard planted on the granite slopes of the Paardeberg that belongs to the Roussouw family. An enormous amount of work goes into the vineyard during the growing season to ensure that the vineyard can carry a healthy and balanced crop. Picking was done with a clear eye on the acidity of the crop which can fall away dramatically during the harvest due to low water reserves in the soil. The 2019 vintage saw little respite from the drought which has gripped the Western Cape over the last few years. Low moisture reserves in the Paardeberg make for challenging conditions even in the best of years, and we pay a lot of attention to ensure that we can harvest ripe, healthy grapes with sufficient acidity. Our key focus during harvest is picking times. If we can pick grapes at the right time, we can achieve tension and ripeness in the wine without the need to manipulate and "dress-up" the wines. Chenin blanc on granite is something that we have worked with for all the years that we have been making our Thorne and Daughters wines, and this wine made its debut with the 2017 vintage bottling. A small crop in 2019 delivered ample concentration in the wines and great "drive". As with all of our wines, the winemaking is incredibly simple, as we have no desire to stand between the vineyard and its expression as a wine in the glass. The grapes are whole bunch pressed on an old basket press and there are no additions of sulphur dioxide made to the juice. A rough settling follows, pressing after which the wine undergoes natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in old oak barrels. We add some sulphur dioxide late in the winter, and then again at bottling, keeping the level of sulphur dioxide as low as possible. The result is wines that show tension without losing their suppleness and core, and wines that will reward time in the cellar.
Tasting Notes
Nose: oat cakes, malt, wet pebbles
Palate: clotted cream, white nectarines
Sources: thorneanddaughters.com ↗ · Compare this vintage
2018 Technical Specifications
Alcohol 13.4%
Residual Sugar 1.13 g/L
pH 3.44
Total Acidity 5.33 g/L
Calories (estimated) 110 kcal / glass
150ml glass110 kcal
750ml bottle550 kcal
Grape Varieties Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc100%
Region Swartland
Soil Granite, Weathered granite
Vine Age 39 year old vineyard
Fermentation Vessels Oak Barrel
Pressing Method Whole Cluster
Natural Yeast Yes
Oak Types oak
Production Details The 2018 vintage saw little respite from the drought which has gripped the Western Cape over the last few years. Low moisture reserves in the Paardeberg make for challenging conditions in the best of years, and we had to pay a lot of attention to ensure that we could harvest ripe, healthy grapes with sufficient acidity. Our key focus during harvest is picking times. If we can pick grapes at the right time, we can achieve tension and ripeness in the wine without the need to manipulate and “dress-up” the wines. Chenin blanc on granite is something that we have worked with for all the years that we have been making our Thorne and Daughters wines, and this wine made its debut with the 2017 vintage bottling. Unfortunately, yields of Chenin were very low in 2018, so we were only able to bottle 50% of what we would have liked to do, but we have certainly won-out in terms of concentration and quality here. As with all of our wines, the winemaking is incredibly simple, as we have no desire to stand between the vineyard and its expression as a wine in the glass. The grapes are whole-bunch pressed in an old basket press and there are no additions of sulphur dioxide made on the juice. A rough settling follows pressing after which the wines undergo natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in old oak barrels. We add some sulphur dioxide late in the winter, and then again at bottling, keeping the level of sulphur dioxide as low as possible. The result is wines that show tension without losing their suppleness and core, and wines that will reward time in the cellar.
Tasting Notes
ground almonds, frangipane flowers, white peaches
Sources: thorneanddaughters.com ↗ · Compare this vintage
2017 Technical Specifications
Alcohol 12.8%
Residual Sugar 1.7 g/L
pH 3.27
Total Acidity 6.4 g/L
Calories (estimated) 105 kcal / glass
150ml glass105 kcal
750ml bottle525 kcal
Grape Varieties Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc100%
Region Swartland
Soil Granite
Vine Age 38 year old vineyard
Fermentation Vessels Old Oak Barrels
Natural Yeast Yes
Production Details The 2017 vintage saw the Western Cape very much in the grip of a long drought, with very little moisture reserves in the soils. The Paardeberg is challenging in the best of years, and we had to pay a lot of attention to ensure that we could harvest ripe, healthy grapes with sufficient acidity. Our key focus during harvest is picking times. If we can pick grapes at the right time, we can achieve tension and ripeness in the wine without the need to manipulate and “dress-up the wines.” Chenin blanc on granite is something that we have worked with for all the years that we have been making our Thorne and Daughters wines, and this is our first single vineyard bottling. The delicacy and concentration of the Langkloof Chenin blanc in 2017 made for a very compelling wine and we felt that it really deserved its own bottling. As with all of our wines, the winemaking is incredibly simple, as we have no desire to stand between the vineyard and its expression as a wine in the glass. The grapes are whole-bunch pressed in an old basket press and there are no additions of sulphur dioxide made to the juice. A rough settling follows, pressing after which the wine undergoes natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in old oak barrels. We add some sulphur dioxide late in the winter, and then again at bottling, keeping the level of sulphur dioxide as low as possible.
Tasting Notes
Nose: white currents, wax, sweet herbs
Palate: fresh, mineral, fennel bulb, nut flesh
Sources: thorneanddaughters.com ↗ · Compare this vintage
Producer Information
Website
Owner
John and Tasha Seccombe
Cellarmaster
John Seccombe