Mother Rock new releases

Stompie Meyer says he wants to make “energetic, artisanal, fun and creative” wines and he’s succeeding admirably. He’s been based on his high-altitude Piket-Bo-Berg farm since 2019 but continues to buy fruit from across the Swartland for his Mother Rock range of wines. Tasting notes and ratings for the newly released wines from the 2021 vintage as follows:

Mother Rock White 2021
Price: R155
27% Chenin Blanc, 25% Semillon, 25% Viognier and 23% Grenache Blanc. Components fermented and matured separately in a combination of concrete and older oak for seven months before being blended and matured for a further 14 months. Winemaking also involves some skin contact and ageing under flor.

Complex aromatics including floral perfume, hay and fynbos before citrus, peach, apple and spice plus a slight nuttiness. The palate is lean and fresh but simultaneously detailed. Plenty of drive, the finish long and pithy.

CE’s rating: 95/100.

Mother Rock Kweperfontein 2021
Price: R225
From a Paardeberg Chenin Blanc vineyard planted in 1984. Handled oxidatively before ferment and reductively afterwards – left untouched in concrete for 18 months before bottling. Somewhat curious aromatics, flintiness combing with a pronounced yeasty note, cut apple and spice. The palate has good density and flavour intensity – appears relatively rich and broad, the finish savoury.

CE’s rating: 91/100.

Mother Rock Liquid Skin 2021
Price: R235
From the same block as Kweperfontein but grapes picked earlier, and the winemaking featuring significant skin contact. Light orange in colour. Attractive aromatics of flowers and fynbos before orange, stone fruit and spice. The palate is elegant and harmonious with good fruit purity, electric acidity, and a super-dry finish.  Less severe than previously, this provides a lot of pleasure.

CE’s rating: 95/100.

Mother Brutal! 2021
Price: R235
From a Chenin Blanc vineyard planted in 1978 near Abbotsdale. Skin contact lasting two weeks before maturation lasting 10 – 11 months in concrete. Citrus, peach and potpourri on the nose while the palate is light-bodied with plenty of zip, the finish having a little tannic grip. A very appealing introduction to the “orange wine” genre.

CE’s rating: 91/100.

Mother Rock Holocene 2021
Price: R225
50% Carignan, 43% Mourvèdre and 7% Cinsault. 100% whole-bunch fermented before maturation lasting 12 months in foudre. The nose has a gamey top note before red and black berries, pepper and spice while the palate is lean with sour, almost puckering acidity and powdery tannins. This will please the geeks but may be too extreme for more conservative tastes.

CE’s rating: 91/100.

Check out our South African wine ratings database.