Thorne & Daughters, Chardonnay ‘Menagerie-Mountain’ 2022

producer: Thorne & Daughters region: Western Cape country: ZAF grape variety: chardonnay production notes: woman winemaker/owner, vegan John and Tasha Seccombe founded Thorne & Daughters in 2021 to make wines that exemplified the Western Cape of South Africa. They are raising their daughters on their collection of old vineyard parcels which they use to produce a couple thousand cases a year. Their “Copper Pot” line of wines is named for Tasha’s family’s hotel in the Drakensberg mountains. The hotel’s logo is a copper pot. The Menagerie line allows John a space for exploration and experimentation.  A heady nose of toasted walnuts and orange peel with butterscotch undertones. The palate is lighter than the nose, focusing in on baked pineapple and a touch of saline.