Miko Red 2012

ageing : 24 months in 80% new 228 litre French oak barrels

Miko Red is produced in honour of the late Mr. Miko Rwayitare, Miko Red’s are only produced in exceptional vintages, ensuring that the best wine possible is bottled in Miko’s memory. Minimal intervention in the cellar ensures that all Miko wines are the ultimate expression of Mont Rochelle terroir.

The 2012 season kicked off with sufficient cold, but a drier winter than usual – in the coastal regions especially. Sufficient cold units had accumulated by the end of June, and with August being warmer, bud burst was a week early in some blocks. Vineyards showed good growth in the ideal weather conditions at the start of the new growing season. Abnormally cold and rainy conditions during the second part of flowering resulted in uneven-flowering and berry set, with high disease pressure. January was exceptionally hot, with heatwaves resulting in sunburn damage in some instances. This exacerbated pressure on dryland vineyards, which already had little soil water resources at that stage. The ripening period in February and March was further characterised by ideal, cool weather conditions for slow ripening, resulting in good colour and flavour spectrums in red cultivars especially.

Harvested in the cool of the morning, the grapes were carefully selected in the vineyard.
Harvest Method: Hand
Harvested: 4th March 2012

All components of this blend were harvested and treated separately prior to blending. They were harvested in the cool of the morning, the grapes were carefully selected in the vineyard before a gentle crushing in the cellar. A co-fermentation of commercial yeasts resulted in a complex aroma and flavour profile. Fermentation occurred in stainless steel with two delestages being employed daily, temperature was maintained at 26 degrees. Maturation in barrel for each component was employed for 24 months in 80% new oak barriques, with the balance being 2nd and 3rd fill. A course filtration was employed prior to bottling.