Mother Rock
Liquid Skin 2021
All the grapes are grown from one single vineyard on the Paardeberg Mountain, south of Malmesbury. The vineyard is owned by Barry Schreiber and farmed by his daughter Franziska Wickens, whose husband Jasper produces the Swerver Wines from the vineyard. A small handful of other producers, notably John Seccombe, of Thorne & Daughters, source fruit here. The bush vine vineyard was planted in 1984, and has been dry farmed since its planting. As of 2014 the vineyard has been farmed fully organically with no chemicals sprayed on the vines and soil. The soils are a mixture of decomposed granite and clay with south-west facing slope on altitude of 920 feet. The fruit was handpicked Stompie’s palate looking for really bright acidity and structure. The fruit was whole-bunch fermented with light foot stomping to get the juice flowing and daily punchdowns for the first ten days of fermentation. There it stayed for eight weeks on stems and skins under a blanket of CO2. It was then basket pressed directly to four 16hL concrete eggs for 12 months of aging on the gross lees. After aging it was racked directly to the bottling line and was bottled without fining, filtration or SO2.
Other Wines by this Producer
White
Johan is a playful, anything-but-by-the-book winemaker, and this white blend certainly reflects that ethos. A blend of four white grapes, including 25% Viognier, this wine is perfumed and expressive of its warmer climate upbringing.
Brutal! Chenin Blanc
Johan was the first South African producer to receive the invite to the exclusive 'Brutal!' club of winemakers, which require a "zero/zero" ethos when crafting wine ("nothing added, nothing taken out"). Native fermentation, 100% whole-cluster, 8 months in a concrete egg
Force Celeste Cinsault
This block was planted in 1990 on decomposed granite and ironstone soils in the Malmesbury region. It has been organically dry-farmed since 2014. Native fermentation, 100% whole-bunch pressed to old 500L French puncheon, 6 months neutral 500L French puncheon
Force Celeste Sémillon
These old bush vines were planted in 1983 on decomposed granite and dry farmed since its initial planting, with a more recent block being planted in 2005. 100% Chenin Blanc, Native fermentation, 7 months in stainless-steel
Force Celeste Chenin Blanc
These old bush vines were planted in 1983 on decomposed granite and dry farmed since its initial planting, with a more recent block being planted in 2005. 100% Chenin Blanc, Native fermentation, 7 months in stainless-steel
Force Celeste Pet-Nat Rose
Swartland
All the grapes are grown organically in the Malmesbury region where the soils are mostly decomposed granite with Malmesbury shale. 70% Pinotage, 30% Chenin Blanc, Native fermentation, neutral French tonneau, 5 months in bottle before release
