Olerasay 6° Straw Wine

Please note: Award stickers are applied at the producer's discretion and may not be present on all bottles.

By harvesting the grapes at normal ripeness and then drying them outdoors in breezy conditions, we initiate a desiccation process that does more than concentrate sugars and flavors - it also amplifies the vibrant, zesty acidity we believe is essential for crafting a well-balanced Straw Wine. After several weeks of drying, the grapes are crushed and gently pressed into 225- liter barrels, where a long, slow, natural fermentation unfolds. Each year, this fermentation naturally comes to a stop after 8 to 12 months, achieving a harmonious balance. A vintage Straw Wine is always bottled however a few barrels were selected to go into a complex Solera system of barrel-ageing that was started with our first Mullineux vintage in 2008. We decided to bottle the first iteration of OLERASAY 1o which was a fractional blend of 2008 to 2014 when it was different enough from the vintage Straw Wine, followed by the 2° in 2020, the 3° in 2022, 4° in 2023 and 5° in 2024.

High on the sun-soaked slopes of the Paardeberg, where the soil crumbles like ancient parchment, a quiet miracle unfolds each season. Here, old vine Chenin Blanc vines, gnarled, wise, and deeply rooted in decomposed granite, thrive in their timeless rhythm. These vineyards weren’t chosen by chance. Their natural gift of vibrant acidity, layered flavour, and a firm, graceful structure made them the perfect setting for something rare. From these treasured vines, we craft a Straw Wine that balances richness with elegance, sweetness with soul. The grapes were hand-harvested between 2008 and 2025 with a yield on average 4 to 6 tons/ha, which translated to 24 to 33HL/ha before the desiccation process. The average post-drying recovery was 10-20%, translating to 2.4 to 6.6 HL/ha.

A vintage Straw Wine is always bottled however a few barrels were selected to go into a complex Solera system of barrel-ageing that was started with our first Mullineux vintage in 2008. We decided to bottle the first iteration of OLERASAY 1° which was a fractional blend of 2008 to 2014 when it was different enough from the vintage Straw Wine, followed by the 2° in 2020, the 3° in 2022, 4° in 2023 and 5° in 2024.