Mittelberger
In the beginning years of BLANKBOTTLE (roughly the first 15), people assumed it was our winemaking philosophy to use older oak on our wines - to show the character of African vineyards rather than the oak trees of France. Whilst that was partly true (for wines like Familiemoord and My Koffer), it was never a blanket approach or a stylistic conviction. It was a budget thing. As in: there was none. However much I loved the freshness and vibrancy that PROPER oak brings to something like Chardonnay and Bordeaux varietals, it was just not an option for me at the time.
In the meantime, in 2011, I started buying Cinsaut grapes from a Breedekloof farmer / winemaker / carpenter called Carlo Sutter. That's when I made the first ever My Koffer. A few years thereafter, on one of Carlo’s many travels, he met a guy called Peter Mittelberger. Peter is from the Dolomites in Italy - Alto Adige.
One day, Carlo informed me that he was on his way to Peter’s family-owned cooperage in Bolzano, Italy to go and make his own barrel (yes, really!). A year later his barrel arrived in the Cape and he filled it with wine he made from vineyards he farmed. In the years to follow his wines intrigued me more and more - specifically the way the new wood integrated in his wines.
Generally speaking, new wood can be harsh and overpowering, but in his case the wine kind of absorbed the wood to become so integrated that it felt like the wine had a new foundation, a platform to showcase fruit. The wines became fresher with this underlying spicy tannin coming from the wood in a way I had never experienced before.
So that’s how I got sucked into the Mittelberger clan. Today I’d like to invite you to taste 6 of my wines where Mittelbergers were used: 200-year old wood from French and German forests, manufactured in the Dolomites Italy - filled with home grown sunshine. (only 36 bottles of Luuks available, so first come first served)
One day, Carlo informed me that he was on his way to Peter’s family-owned cooperage in Bolzano, Italy to go and make his own barrel (yes, really!). A year later his barrel arrived in the Cape and he filled it with wine he made from vineyards he farmed. In the years to follow his wines intrigued me more and more - specifically the way the new wood integrated in his wines.
Generally speaking, new wood can be harsh and overpowering, but in his case the wine kind of absorbed the wood to become so integrated that it felt like the wine had a new foundation, a platform to showcase fruit. The wines became fresher with this underlying spicy tannin coming from the wood in a way I had never experienced before.
So that’s how I got sucked into the Mittelberger clan. Today I’d like to invite you to taste 6 of my wines where Mittelbergers were used: 200-year old wood from French and German forests, manufactured in the Dolomites Italy - filled with home grown sunshine. (only 36 bottles of Luuks available, so first come first served)
The 6 wines:
Seelug 2023 - Chardonnay from the lower slopes of the Helderberg - Stellenbosch
Luuks 2022 - Chardonnay from Upper Helderberg - Stellenbosch
Pierre Le Cois 2021 - Bordeaux blend from the same farm as Luuks
Epileptic Inspiration 2023 - Elgin Semillon.
ISA-42 2021 - Merlot from high up on the Helderberg - Stellenbosch
1-Click-OFF 2023 - Pinot Noir from ELGIN.
Luuks 2022 - Chardonnay from Upper Helderberg - Stellenbosch
Pierre Le Cois 2021 - Bordeaux blend from the same farm as Luuks
Epileptic Inspiration 2023 - Elgin Semillon.
ISA-42 2021 - Merlot from high up on the Helderberg - Stellenbosch
1-Click-OFF 2023 - Pinot Noir from ELGIN.