Richly entwined in Persian folklore, Genies are best described as free-willed spirits formed from smokeless fire. Capable of using their power to create either magic or mischief, Genies were popularised in the Tales of One Thousand and One Nights. Traditionally, Rosé Champagne is made from two red varieties, namely Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. With Silverthorn The Genie we broke the rules. Embracing the free-willed spirit of the Genie, we opted for something far more daring and exotic, and used Shiraz, an ancient grape variety, originating from Persia.

Winemaking: 

The Genie was hand harvested in mid February in the early hours of the morning at 19 degrees balling. The grapes were whole bunch pressed with a very low recovery rate of only 500 liters per ton – this ensures that no bitter tannins are extracted and leaves the juice with a beautiful light purple colour. The colour gradually evolves into a salmon pink. Fermentation took place in a stainless steel tank at 15 degrees Celsius. Secondary fermentation occurred in the bottle and the wine spent a minimum time of 15 months on the lees after which it was manually riddled and degorged. 

Cultivar: Shiraz (100%)

Colour/appearance: Bright onion skin – fine twirling bead of bubbles.

Nose: Exotic bouquet of Turkish delight and rose water.

Palate: Fresh raspberries and sherbet flavours supported by a velvety texture, fine mousse and lengthy finish.

Analysis:

Alc – 12.0%   |   RS – 7.0g/l   |   pH – 3.01   |   TA – 6.3g/l 

Food Pairing:

Salmon gravadlax on crisp rye toast

Parma ham and red figs

Strawberries macerated with black pepper

About Silverthorn Winery:

In 1976 Joachim Rieck, Karen’s father, was faced with a purchasing dilemma – buy a beautiful sea view property in Llandudno (now one of the most expensive areas in Cape Town, but at that time it had very little value) or buy Welmoed Farm, an 11 hectare property with some vineyards on the banks of the Breede River. Had he been financially driven, he might have predicted the increase in value of the Llandudno property, but he was led by a different kind of wisdom and heart – one which had learnt the value of a farm and the self-sufficiency that comes with it. Having grown up during World War II it was this gift he wished to give to his family. In 1992, when he presented the idea of handing over the family farm to his daughter, Karen, she was a young interior designer with no experience in farming. Nevertheless, Karen considered a career change and requested application forms for Viticulture and Oenology, the study of winemaking.

Only, it was John who found the empty forms lying on a table, had an epiphany and promptly filled them in, sent off his application and found himself coming out of Elsenburg 3 years later as Dux Student. Soon after, Karen’s father fell ill with an aggressive cancer and in 1999 John and Karen took full responsibility of the farm, which was at that stage running at a loss. For John as a young assistant winemaker at Graham Beck, and Karen who was expecting her second child while looking after her dying father and two-year old, the Silverthorn that exists today must have felt totally unreachable. And yet, the inklings of a dream were there. To build a cellar, to make wine and to keep the farm. This simple vision took them on a journey that would see John headhunted by Steenberg Vineyards for the position of cellar master with an offer to allow him to develop his own wine brand at the same time. For 17 years John worked at Steenberg, climbing the corporate ladder to eventually manage Steenberg Vineyards, Hotel and Restaurants before it became clear that in order to take the next steps with Silverthorn, he’d have to leave the certainty of the corporate world and enter the unchartered territory of following the dream. 

Now over two decades into the journey, Silverthorn Wines has truly established itself as a world-class Cap Classique brand and destination.