Mother Rock Force Celeste Semillon 2020

Winemaker: Johan Meyer (Stompie)

Appellation: Swartland, South Africa

Grape Varietals: Semillon

When Stompie called up Vine Street Imports one dreary afternoon in December saying he got a hold of some top notch bush vine Sémillon from granitic soils on Paardeberg Mountain, there was a bit of intrigue.  Organically farmed, single vineyard planted in ’97 and dry farmed.

The grapes were handpicked across three pick dates with early picks ensuring good pH and acid and structure coupled with enveloping aromas from the riper batches. The majority of the grapes were whole bunch pressed to stainless steel with 10% being barrel fermented. 20% of the stainless ferments were fermented on skins for two weeks for added texture and character. The wine aged for seven months on the gross lees prior to a careful racking. The wine was bottled without fining nor filtration and bottled with a total SO2 of 34 ppm.

Hazy yellow. A bit of reduction blows off with just a few swirls in the glass or the bottle being opened for a bit. Aromas of fresh grass, green melon, and yellow nectarines burst from the glass with subtle notes of cucumber water, honeycomb and a ginger mojito evolving with time. The palate brings a macadamia nut oil profile with intense texture and grip. There is a good bit of acid initially that dissipates leaving a long, persistent and round finish.