2024 Mother Rock, Liquid Skin, Swartland

Johan Meyer’s Mother Rock project is anchored in the meticulous stewardship of Swartland’s old vines, utilizing organic farming and a cellar philosophy of absolute minimal intervention. For Liquid Skin, Meyer employs 100% whole-cluster fermentation followed by an exhaustive five-month maceration under a submerged cap to build a wine defined by structural integrity rather than aromatic artifice. The fruit originates from 40-year-old, dry-farmed Chenin Blanc bush vines rooted in the decomposed granite of the Paardeberg, a sub-region renowned for imparting high-tensile strength and mineral clarity. In 2024, a hot and arid growing season accelerated ripening and reduced yields, resulting in a vintage of notable concentration and firm-grained tannins while preserving a precise, nervy acid backbone. The resulting wine is characterized by significant mid-palate density and a savory, grippy finish that reflects the architectural potential of skin-fermented Chenin from these ancient, granitic soils.