‘Swembad’ comes from Chenin vines planted in 1989 at Geluksoord. Early picking preserves acidity, followed by eight months of maturation in neutral barrels. ‘Vibes’ takes a different route: late-ripening Mourvèdre from Talana Hill begins fermenting on its skins before pressing, then spends almost eleven months on its lees in egg-shaped vessels.
Adam Mason and Raised by Wolves
Adam’s winemaking career began in 1997 and includes work at Klein Constantia, Mulderbosch and DeMorgenzon. Raised by Wolves, made by Yardstick, gives him room to explore individual vineyards and varieties across the Cape.
For these two wines, that means working with Chenin grown by Jacques du Bois at Geluksoord and Mourvèdre grown by Damien Cadle at Talana Hill. The Chenin vineyard is certified under the Old Vine Project, while the Mourvèdre comes from dryland-farmed vines grown without irrigation.
Both wines ferment with naturally occurring yeasts and mature on their lees, the yeast sediment left after fermentation. This contact can build texture and complexity. The vessels differ, with neutral oak barrels for ‘Swembad’ and 500-litre plastic eggs for ‘Vibes’, giving each wine its own approach to maturation.
‘Swembad’ comes from a single Chenin Blanc vineyard at Geluksoord, planted in 1989 and certified under the Old Vine Project. This certification recognises the age of the vines.
Adam deliberately harvested early, on 31 January, to preserve acidity and support the wine’s development in bottle. The grapes were pressed as whole bunches, then fermented in stainless steel without adding a selected commercial yeast.
The wine subsequently spent eight months on its fine lees in neutral 500-litre barrels. These previously used barrels contribute less overt oak flavour than new wood, allowing maturation in oak while keeping the emphasis on the wine itself.
Spontaneous malolactic fermentation, which converts sharper malic acid into softer lactic acid, was also part of the process. Adam’s technical notes describe nuanced aromatics and a complex, layered palate. Early picking provides the starting point, with fermentation and lees ageing building on that preserved acidity.
For anyone interested in old-vine Chenin, ‘Swembad’ offers a clearly identified vineyard and a detailed account of how its fruit was handled.
Harvested on 18 March, the whole bunches were loaded into the press and left to begin fermenting with naturally occurring yeasts. Only then was the fermenting juice pressed off the skins.
It was transferred to 500-litre egg-shaped plastic vessels, known as Zeppelins, for fermentation and maturation. The wine spent almost eleven months on its lees before bottling in January 2026.
Welcome to the range, Raised by Wolves
Raised by Wolves brings two additions to the Yardstick range: ‘Swembad’ Chenin Blanc 2024 and ‘Vibes’ Mourvèdre Rosé 2025. Made by Adam Mason, both come from individual Stellenbosch vineyards, with the grower, site and winemaking choices central to each wine’s story.
‘Swembad’ comes from Chenin vines planted in 1989 at Geluksoord. Early picking preserves acidity, followed by eight months of maturation in neutral barrels. ‘Vibes’ takes a different route: late-ripening Mourvèdre from Talana Hill begins fermenting on its skins before pressing, then spends almost eleven months on its lees in egg-shaped vessels.
Adam Mason and Raised by Wolves
Adam’s winemaking career began in 1997 and includes work at Klein Constantia, Mulderbosch and DeMorgenzon. Raised by Wolves, made by Yardstick, gives him room to explore individual vineyards and varieties across the Cape.
For these two wines, that means working with Chenin grown by Jacques du Bois at Geluksoord and Mourvèdre grown by Damien Cadle at Talana Hill. The Chenin vineyard is certified under the Old Vine Project, while the Mourvèdre comes from dryland-farmed vines grown without irrigation.
Both wines ferment with naturally occurring yeasts and mature on their lees, the yeast sediment left after fermentation. This contact can build texture and complexity. The vessels differ, with neutral oak barrels for ‘Swembad’ and 500-litre plastic eggs for ‘Vibes’, giving each wine its own approach to maturation.
THE WINES:
R305.00Add to basket
Raised by Wolves ‘Swembad’ Chenin Blanc 2024
‘Swembad’ comes from a single Chenin Blanc vineyard at Geluksoord, planted in 1989 and certified under the Old Vine Project. This certification recognises the age of the vines.
Adam deliberately harvested early, on 31 January, to preserve acidity and support the wine’s development in bottle. The grapes were pressed as whole bunches, then fermented in stainless steel without adding a selected commercial yeast.
The wine subsequently spent eight months on its fine lees in neutral 500-litre barrels. These previously used barrels contribute less overt oak flavour than new wood, allowing maturation in oak while keeping the emphasis on the wine itself.
Spontaneous malolactic fermentation, which converts sharper malic acid into softer lactic acid, was also part of the process. Adam’s technical notes describe nuanced aromatics and a complex, layered palate. Early picking provides the starting point, with fermentation and lees ageing building on that preserved acidity.
For anyone interested in old-vine Chenin, ‘Swembad’ offers a clearly identified vineyard and a detailed account of how its fruit was handled.
R215.00Add to basket
Raised by Wolves ‘Vibes’ Mourvèdre Rosé 2025
‘Vibes’ began with an overlooked parcel of late-ripening Mourvèdre at Talana Hill. The vines are dryland farmed, meaning they grow without irrigation. At the end of the 2025 harvest, Adam decided to use the fruit for a rosé with deliberate skin contact.
Harvested on 18 March, the whole bunches were loaded into the press and left to begin fermenting with naturally occurring yeasts. Only then was the fermenting juice pressed off the skins.
It was transferred to 500-litre egg-shaped plastic vessels, known as Zeppelins, for fermentation and maturation. The wine spent almost eleven months on its lees before bottling in January 2026.
That extended time in the cellar is a particularly interesting part of the story. Rosé covers a broad range of winemaking approaches, and colour alone tells us little about skin contact, fermentation or ageing. With ‘Vibes’, those decisions are central: fermentation begins with the skins present, followed by a substantial period on the lees.
It’s a useful bottle for exploring Mourvèdre beyond red wine, and for looking more closely at how rosé is made.
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