Silverthorn Farm near Robertson was bought by Karen Loubser’s family in 1976 and was taken over by Karen and her husband, John in 1999. After studying winemaking at Elsenburg, John has been a member of the Cape Winemakers’ Guild since 2004 and has made wines successfully for estates such as Moreson, Graham Beck, and Steenberg – from which he resigned in 2017 to develop Silverthorn wines. Karen has been involved in the daily administration of Silverthorn Farm since 1998 and has headed the general management of Silverthorn Wines since 2006 when the first vintage was released.
The silhouette of the Karroo Acacia tree, with its profusion of dazzling white thorns inspired the name Silverthorn Wines. Silverthorn Wines is among only a handful of South African producers dedicated solely to the production the Cap Classique style of wine. Silverthorn’s terroir includes rocky, lime-rich, shale soils similar to the famous Champagne soils in France.
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes were gently harvested and whole-bunch pressed in the making of this wine. Fermentation was in stainless steel tanks and old French oak barrels. The wine spent a minimum of 41 months on the lees in order to develop optimum complexity. Jewel Box combines old world European knowledge and the contemporary African environment and culture.