Half human, half nature, the Green Man is an ancient mythical figure representing the spirit of the forest, the continuous regeneration of life and the interdependence of all things. He has appeared throughout the ages from as far afield as ancient Babylon, India, Borneo and Nepal, to abbeys and cathedrals all over Europe. He manifests in many forms, most commonly as a semi-human, foliate head, representing the fusion of man and nature. In his modern guise, The Green Man has appeared under a new name – Ecology. It is this spirit, as well as the delicate green hue of Silverthorn’s Chardonnay Cap Classique, that inspired winemaker John Loubser to break with the traditional name ‘Blanc de Blancs’ and personify the wine with the name The Green Man. 

Winemaking:

The Green Man was hand harvested in end-January 2020 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 litres per ton – this ensures that no bitter tannins are extracted. Fermentation took place in a stainless steel tank at 15 degrees Celsius and 40% was barrel fermented and aged to enhance complexity. Secondary fermentation occurred in the bottle and the wine spent a minimum time of 21 months on the lees after which it was manually riddled and degorged. Total production – 11037 bottles (750ml).

Cultivar: Chardonnay (100%)

Colour/appearance: Vibrant green/yellow hue – fine twirling bead of bubbles.

Nose: Aromas of baked apple backed up by subtle hints of minerality and whiffs of roasted almonds.

Palate: Well balanced with an elegant structure, fine mousse which imparts a gentle explosion of bubbles on the palate and a long finish.

Analysis:

Alc – 12.0%   |   RS – 5.9g/l   |   pH – 3.19   |   TA – 6.0g/l

Food Pairing:

Freshly shucked Namibian oysters

Salmon tartar with a zesty lime salsa

Beluga caviar and blini.

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.