Dragons exist in the realm of magic, but their origins are grounded by our collective fascination and curiosity in nature. Perhaps inspired by dinosaurs, there is a rich and ancient history of dragons throughout the world. Draco Africanus, the majestic African Dragon, is alleged to have spent its time whimsically flying and “skywriting” with smoke. Benevolent, wise and powerful, the ‘River Dragon’ of Silverthorn appears eternally silhouetted against the River Without End Mountains. 

Winemaking:
River Dragon was hand harvested towards the end of February in the early hours of the morning at 19 degrees balling. The grapes from a 39 year old vineyard, were whole bunch pressed with a very low recovery rate of only 500 litres per ton – this ensures that no bitter tannins are extracted. 40% of the base wine was fermented in old Acacia 500 litre barrels to enhance complexity. Secondary fermentation occurred in the bottle and the wine spent 12 months on the lees after which it was manually riddled and disgorged.

Cultivar: Colombar (100%)

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

Nose: Vibrant aromas of chamomile blossom and thatch complimented by a subtle stone fruit and tropical notes.

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 – 6.5g/l | pH – 3.2 | TA – 6.1g/l

Food Pairing:

Poached fillet of trout with lemon sauce

Duck pancakes

Black mussel potjie

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.