Introduction
Piet is a mechanical engineer, a brilliant mentor, husband and friend. I studied Botany, later supplemented by courses in wine and vineyard maintenance.
Our first harvest was in 2006 and sorting the grapes took a lot longer than expected. Some phone calls later and our family and friends (with the promise of beer and pizza) arrived to help. At 2 am on a weekday, I marvelled at the passion and dedication of my loved ones at such very short notice. It is what inspired the name of our blend.
Mirari – To wonder at.
Vinification
The wine is made as gently and naturally as possible. I allow the wild yeast on the skin of the berries to naturally ferment the sugar. Hand punch-downs of the skin cap at four-hourly intervals for the next fourteen days lead to some sleep deprivation, but the enhanced contact between the skins and juice ensures good colour and flavour extraction. Another two to three weeks on the skins extract more tannin which helps with the mouthfeel and age-ability of the wine.
Our traditional wooden basket press requires patience and cause very stained hands, but it eliminates the harsher elements in the skins and pips. Since I add minimal sulphur, the second fermentation is also able to occur naturally in the barrels.
Ageing
The wine is then aged in a combination of new and old French oak barrels from several different coopers for twenty-four months and spends a further minimum of twelve months in the bottle prior to release.
Depending on the vintage, we make between 3000 and 5000 bottles of Mirari a year.
In summary, we only use our own grapes and apart from sulphur, there are no added acid, yeast, tannin or any additives that may alter the taste.
I hope this allows for a true reflection of our terroir.
