2015 Rocking Horse Cape White Blend

(wild fermentation in older barrels): Medium yellow-straw. Subtly complex aromas of lemon drop, fresh stone fruits, honeysuckle, spices and anise, plus building nutty oak. Suave, fine-grained and substantial but with lovely integrated acidity and lemony citricity giving the middle palate a light touch and lovely verve. An element of dusty herbs adds complexity. Finishes quite smooth and persistent, with attractive floral lift. This subtle blend still needs a year or two in bottle to express itself. Will the oak be absorbed?

The 2015 Rocking Horse Cape White, matured in used oak for nine months with a small amount of skin contact, offers attractive almond and nutmeg notes, flecked with white chocolate to make this a very seductive set of aromatics. The palate is fresh on the entry with hazelnut, Chinese five-spice and smoky flavors, well balanced with satisfying depth and length on the finish. This is an excellent wine from winemaker John Seccombe.

33% Roussanne, 23% Sémillon, 20% Chardonnay, 18% Chenin Blanc, 6% Clairette Blanche. RS 2.1 g/l, pH 3.4, TA 5.5 g/l.. Nutty and acacia blossom. Crumpled-tissue-paper-fine texture. Pears and white peach but not much fruit sweetness. A delicate skein of wild-grass spiciness and fennel tea leaf with an underbelly of vanilla cream. Neat finish. (TC)