Rock Force Celeste Semillon 2025

Mother Rock Force Celeste Semillon 2025 is a textured, energetic and distinctly Swartland take on 100% Semillon, made by Johan Stompie Meyer. The fruit comes from the organically farmed Nieuwedrift vineyard, where the Semillon vines are around 12 years old and planted at low altitude on Malmesbury shale.

The winemaking is where things get particularly interesting. The 2025 is made from 70% direct-pressed fruit and 30% skin-fermented fruit, with deliberate oxidation before fermentation. It then ferments naturally with minimal intervention and spends eight months in concrete before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Stompie has started moving away from describing these simply as natural wines, preferring the term honest wine,wines intended to reflect the vineyard and vintage without unnecessary manipulation. For the 2025 Force Celeste range, sulphur is the only addition. Tasting Notes Colour: Light golden yellow with a slight natural haze possible due to the wine being unfined and unfiltered.

Nose: Lemon and yellow apple lead into green tea, dried herbs and subtle stone fruit, with a slightly savoury, flinty character underneath. The previous vintage showed a particularly distinctive combination of yellow apple, hay, earth, green tea and citrus. Palate: Dry, textured and energetic. Citrus and orchard fruit meet a gentle grip from the skin-fermented component, while concrete maturation allows the wine to develop weight and texture without introducing oak flavour.

Finish: Dry and savoury with bright acidity, lingering citrus, tea-like notes and a subtle mineral edge. Technical Details Producer: Mother Rock WinesWinemaker: Johan Stompie MeyerVintage: 2025Origin: Swartland, Western Cape, South AfricaVineyard: NieuwedriftGrape Variety: 100% SemillonVine Age: Approximately 12 yearsFarming: OrganicSoil: Malmesbury shaleVinification: 70% direct press / 30% skin fermentedFermentation: Natural / indigenous fermentationMaturation: 8 months in concreteFining: NoneFiltration: NoneAdditions: Minimal; sulphur onlyBottle Size: 750ml