SilverthornThe Green Man Brut 2017 (R221,50 per bottle, 6 bottles)
R1,329
About
Silverthorn Wines is among only a handful of producers who have dedicated their expertise solely to the production of this elegant style of wine. We are a proud member of the Cap Classique Association, an independent organisation which collectively supports and markets Cap Classique wines, and of course a member of the prestigious Cape Winemakers Guild. Silverthorn’s terroir, with its rocky, lime-rich, shale soils similar to the famous Champagne soils in France coupled with our mature Chardonnay vineyards ensure the time is ripe for Silverthorn’s grand entry into the world of sparkling wine. Currently, Silverthorn's production stands at a total of 44,000 bottles, with steady, consistent growth on the horizon. Our primary aim is to continue to produce some of the finest South African sparkling wines, to build on our Platter 5*, Six Nations Wine Challenge - Wine Of The Show and Tim Atkin – Overall Sparkling Wine Of The Year
Winemaking
The Green Man was hand-harvested in end-January 2017 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 600 litres per ton – this ensures that no bitter tannins are extracted. Fermentation took place in a stainless steel tank at 15 degrees Celsius and a small portion was barrel-fermented to enhance complexity. Secondary fermentation occurred in the bottle and the wine spent a minimum time of 22 months on the lees after which it was manually riddled and degorged. Total production – 15 232 bottles (750ml) and 500 magnums.
2017 The Green Man analysis
- Alc – 11.96%
- RS – 6.3g/l
- pH – 3.06
- TA – 6.7g/l
Description
Colour/appearance: Vibrant green/yellow hue – fine twirling bead of bubbles.
Nose: Fresh aromas of green apple and acacia blossom backed up by subtle hints of minerality and whiffs of freshly baked brioche.
Palate: Well balanced with an elegant structure, fine mousse which imparts a gentle explosion of bubbles on the palate and a long finish.
Suggested food pairings
Freshly shucked Namibian oysters – salmon tartar with a zesty lime salsa – Beluga caviar and blini.
Writer's block
Ours is about 3 feet by 3 feet, and on our left is the account's block. The marketing block is down the hall.
We're joking. Obviously.
Ours is at least 5 by 5, and on Wednesdays we're allowed to write in coffee shops to maintain the illusion that we're "successful" and "writerly".
Coming up with a write up for the simple sake of a write up does, however, become difficult when we're staring complete lack of creativity right in the face. But apparently asking management to cancel all the deals for the day isn't a viable fix.
As they so delicately put it, it'd be like a comedian having the option to suddenly cancel a show if they're not feeling up to it. Not on our watch, they said. You'll do a write up whether you like it or not, they said. And be funny, they said.
So here we are, doing a write up and being funny.