Botha Kelder Mijmere Chenin Blanc Method Charmat: A Breedekloof Daydream
The Sip:
Botha Cellars, a winery whose size means they are probably in the Breedekloof’s group chat, delivers a delightfully uncomplicated sparkler with their Mijmere Chenin Blanc Method Charmat. It’s an ever-so-slightly off-dry white sparkling wine, clocking in at a modest 11.5% alc—just enough to make your bad decisions seem like good ideas.
The Swallow:
On the palate, it’s all about immediate pleasure—the kind that requires zero critical thought. It’s fresh and fruity, often displaying notes of pear, golden apple, and perhaps a hint of “I forgot my troubles,” all delivered with a light straw-yellow colour and a fine, persistent stream of bubbles. IIt’s crisp and uncomplicated, making it the perfect aperitif, a light-hearted friend for casual meals, or your essential secret weapon to surviving Sunday lunch with the family.
The Technique:
This wine is produced using the Method Charmat (also known as the Martinotti Method or Tank Method), a technique that dictates the character of the bubbles and the wine’s flavour profile.
The process is as follows:
- Base Wine: A still, uncarbonated white wine (in this case, primarily Chenin Blanc with 10% Chardonnay) is first fermented.
- Second Fermentation in Tank: This base wine is transferred into large, sealed, pressurized stainless-steel tanks (autoclaves). A mixture of sugar and yeast, called the liqueur de tirage, is added.
- Trapping the Bubbles: The yeast consumes the sugar, producing alcohol and, crucially, carbon dioxide. Because the tank is sealed and under pressure, the CO2 is forced to dissolve into the wine, creating the sparkling effect.
- Short Ageing (or Sur Lie): The wine is left on the lees (dead yeast cells) for a period—Botha Cellars often leaves theirs for around 12 weeks for good integration of bubbles and to promote secondary aromas. This is generally much shorter than the bottle-fermented Method Cap Classique/Champenoise.
- Filtration and Bottling: The sparkling wine is then filtered under pressure to remove the yeast (meaning no sediment in the bottle) and bottled immediately.
The Charmat Method is much faster and blessedly less labour-intensive than the traditional method. Think of it as the express lane for sparkling wine: it zips the flavours right into the bottle, perfectly preserving the fresh, aromatic, and primary fruit character of the grapes. That’s how the Mijmere keeps its sparkling and easygoing personality.
The Story:
A Beautiful Daydream. The name of the wine is a lovely touch. Mijmere is a Dutch word that means “to daydream” or “to muse.” This perfectly encapsulates the easy, carefree, and reflective mood this light, fresh, and slightly sweet bubbly evokes.
Botha Cellars is part of the Breedekloof Makers initiative, a collective of wineries in the valley dedicated to showcasing the region’s unique terroir, especially through Chenin Blanc, which is their core strength—so this Mijmere is their dreamy expression of the valley’s flagship grape in a refreshing sparkling format.
Honest Option:
Frankly, at this price (R170 p/b from cellar door – Oct 2025) and with this level of easy-drinking fruitiness, one could argue that Mijmere is less of a bubbly and more of a mandatory pre-weekend hydration tonic. An official permission slip to stop overthinking and start daydreaming, as you swallow, sip and repeat, all weekend long.
Verdict:
Swallow
The Mijmere is very swallowable, especially on a Friday morning, before or after breakfast. It’s as if you can taste the weekend and the sweet memories it might hold. Nothing too serious or complex, this is a happy wine that will put sparkle in your weekend steps, wherever those might take you.
