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Mother Rock

2024

‘Liquid Skin’

Chenin Blanc   |   Swartland - South Africa
Shelf Talker Spec Sheet Wine Label Bottle Image

About

‘Liquid Skin’ is the same wine as ‘Kweperfontein’ – except it sees 155 days of skin contact. 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 same 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. In total, the wine spent 155 days (about 22 weeks) on the skins during aging in concrete. It was then pressed, racked, and bottled. No fining, no filtering, and no sulfur.

Stats

  • Grapes: 100% Chenin Blanc
  • Vineyard: Waterval Vineyard on the Paardeberg Mountain – farmed by Franziska Wickens
  • Vine Age: 35-years-old
  • Soil Type: Decomposed granitic sand intermixed with fractured clay
  • Viticulture: Practicing Organic – dry-farmed
  • Fermentation: Native – open top in stainless steel (100% whole-bunch - 10 days of pigeage)
  • Skin Contact: 22 weeks post-fermentation
  • Aging: 12 months in 16hL concrete egg
  • Alcohol: 13%
  • pH: 3.23
  • Total Acidity: 6.3 g/L
  • Total SO2: None added
  • Total Production: 223 cases

Tasting Note

Deep golden orange. It smells like orange zest, honey, and chamomile, and the liquid is electric and alive with a wonderful grip. Layers of stone fruits and minerality make this a serious, structured wine that is also immediately drinkable.

Press & Reviews

The WineMag

93

"From a Paardeberg vineyard planted in 1984. Made with the cap submerged for five months. Orange, pineapple, potpourri, fynbos and ginger on the nose. The palate is relatively lean with fresh acidity and some firm grip to the finish."

- Christian Eedes
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Producer


Mother Rock

Region


Swartland

Country


South Africa

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