Migliarina,
Stellenbosch
South
Africa revisited part 11
Website: www.migliarina.co.za
Carsten Migliarina studied hotel
management and worked as a sommelier for seven years, including a
stint at Pont de la Tour in London. For the last ten years he has
been consulting in the wine industry, and eight years ago he started
his own wine brand, specializing in Shiraz.
'You need to specialize in something,' he
says. It's a label only brand in that he doesn't own any vineyards,
something he says can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. On
the plus side, it means he choose the best parcels and only use
fruit he really likes.
Currently Carsten is working with between
two to four different growers in Stellenbosch each vintage. His
approach is to do as little as possible, although he admits that
acidification is needed. He uses cultured yeasts, too, but sometimes
allows fermentations to begin on their own first.
All the fruit is handpicked, and he's
very particular on sorting. 'We use two sorting tables, and last
year I took out half a ton of raisins.' He doesn't work the wines
hard, leaving them on their skins for five to eight weeks and
ferments quite cool.
75% of the wines are exported, mainly to
Europe. 2002 was the first vintage; in 2003 no wine was made because
Carsten had no money; 2002 sales paid for the 2004 vintage. 'Every
year my wines have improved in quality,' reports Carsten. I'm
certainly very impressed by the 2007 Shiraz, which I'd rate as one
of South Africa's most interesting.
THE
WINES
Migliarina Shiraz 2007 Stellenbosch
14% alcohol. Two years in oak, one third of which was new.
Beautifully aromatic: amazing perfume of sweet cherry and plum fruit
with some iodine notes. The palate is fresh and elegant with
beautiful texture, and notes of cherries and plums. Balanced and
elegant, this is quite thrilling. There's real complexity here, as
well as mineral and iodine notes. 94/100
Migliarina Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Stellenbosch
This is the first release, with 66% Shiraz and 34% Cabernet
Sauvignon. 80% new oak for 12 months. Pure focused nose of
blackcurrant, blackberry and dark cherry fruit. Rich yet still
fresh, with some plum notes. The palate is fresh with nice dense
plummy fruit and substantial tannic structure. Lovely focus and
intensity: real potential for further development. 94/100
SOUTH
AFRICA REVISITED
Part
1, Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards
Part
2, Cape Point Vineyards
Part
3, AA Badenhorst
Family Wines
Part
4, Eben Sadie: Sadie
Family Wines and Sequillo Cellars
Part
5, Paul Kretzel of
Lammershoek
Part
6, Mullineux Family
Wines
Part
7, Vondeling
Part
8, Scali
Part
9, Sterhuis
Part
10, Raats
Part
11, Migliarina
Part
12, Charles Back and Fairview
Part
13, Hermit on the Hill
Part
14, Klein Constantia
Part
15, Iona, Elgin
Part 16, Paul
Cluver, Elgin
Part 17, Eagles'
Nest, Constantia
Part 18, Anthonij
Rupert
Part 19, Oak
Valley, Elgin
Part 20, Shannon,
Elgin
Wines
tasted 10/10
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