Roussanne (39%) - trellised vines, 8 years old, alluvial soils
Chardonnay (23%) - dryland bush vines, 22 years old, shale and clay soils
Semillon blanc (23%) - trellised vines, 30 years old, alluvial soils
Chenin blanc (15%) - dryland bush vines 33 years old, decomposed granite soils

Our Rocking Horse Cape White Blend takes its name from a wooden rocking horse that we made for our eldest daughter out of old oak barrel staves.

There’s a lot going on aromatically in this wine. The initial orange blossom, peach and burnt sugar aromas give way to more exotic wax, rosemary, caraway and sea-shore notes. It is layered and complex, and evolves beautifully in the glass.

The palate is fine, structured and rich with flavours of quince and tea-leaf that settle into a long finish

TIM ATKIN says

Rocking Horse showcases John Seccombe's skills as a blender, combining Roussanne with 68% Semillon, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Clairette Blanche from the Ceres Plateau, Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, the Swartland and the Voor Paardeberg. Nutmeg, fennel and candle wax aromas segue into a palate of pear, lemon and lime, with a hint of stone fruit sweetness and a chiselled finish. 2023-2

The 2016 Wanderer’s Heart is our interpretation of a Cape Red Blend. The wine’s aromas include tea leaf, dried cranberry, exotic woods, dried herbs and citrus peel, and a whiff of the apothecary’s chest. The wine is light and keenly balanced, with a dusting of talc-like tanins.

Grenache noir – 69% Voor Paardeberg (4 years, alluvial) and Bot River (10 years, clay/shale)
Cinsault – 21% Bottelary – decomposed granite soil
Mourvèdre – 10% Bot River – gravel soil

Skin Contact Semillion

The colour of the wine is unusual, having taken some bright copper and bronze tones from its time on skins.

The nose is striking, with a briney, oyster-bed note coming out under subtle red fruit, licorice and white pepper notes. The interplay between savoury and sweet is a key point of interest in Tin Soldier, and makes for a subtle and engaging wine. The palate is finely structured, with fresh acidity and full flavours of strawberry leaf, sweet herbs and pink peppercorn. It is dry and delicate, while at the same time showing a core of richness and depth.

Paper Kite is our expression of old vine South African Semillon. In 2016 we were fortunate to work with two vineyards in Swartland and Franschhoek that are 52 and 85 years old respectively. These old clones of Semillon (including a tiny amount of Semillon gris dotted about the vineyards) deliver an expression of Semillon that is very much at odds with the modern, aromatic clones. The wines they produce are hauntingly beautiful and difficult to define.

The wine is rich, textured and complex, shows wonderful spice, floral and savoury tones, waxy lemon rind and vinous herbal / green fruit character of great length.

Semillon blanc and gris – Swartland – 52 year old vineyard on alluvial soil
Semillon and gris – Franschhoek - 85 year old vineyard on sandstone scree

Pinot Noir - Cape South Coast

The wine shows aromas of bright red fruits and dried naartjie zest, with underlying herbal and cinnamon bark tones. In the mouth it is finely balanced showing good acidity and fine tannins, these being balanced out by generous red fruit and citrus zest. The finish is satisfyingly dry with a touch of spice and earthiness.