Mullineux Wines run by Chris and Andrea Mullineux is one of the most respected quality producers in South Africa as further evidenced by their recent inclusion in the Top 5 Wineries of South Africa poll conducted by Winemag.co.za. With their Signature red and white range only released onto the market as recently as 2008, and their Single Terroir Series wines first released in 2010, they have wasted little time in elevating their wines to some of the most sought-after in the Swartland and the Western Cape.
With Andrea Mullineux in London recently, I caught up with her over lunch to taste what she considers are her finest expressions of Mullineux Syrahs to date. With the Swartland experiencing a very long, cool, atypical vintage, I was intrigued to see what all the hype was about.
Beautifully taut and tight knit with pinpoint aromatics of crushed granite, gravel, delicate violet and lily perfume, juniper berries and subtle broody black berry fruit notes. The minerality and sappy herbal spices bristle in the glass with an incredibly fine-grained palate with delicately drying, chalky, satin textured tannins that will ultimately come to define this incredible vintage and its astounding weightless focus, dry extract power, cool freshness and seductive finesse. This is a truly exceptional, awe inspiring creation that pushes new quality boundaries for tannin management and palate precision. Drink from 2024 to 2044+.
This beautiful Schist vintage is a real stunner, a gorgeous head turner that oozes quality, confidence and class. Deep, dark and multi-layered, the aromatics boasts complex notes of pressed pink blossoms, Parma violet candies, creme de cassis and saline black berry with delicate notes of cigar ash, graphite, and a concertinaed liquid mineral spice. Fabulously deep, tightly wound, and tight knit at its core but still incredibly, displays its own stylish opulence, expressive character and generosity without compromising the delicately dry tannin extract intensity on the finish. A beautifully spellbinding, seductive expression of Syrah that is sure to take on new dimensions of textural and flavour complexity with extra time in bottle. Drink from 2024 to 2040+.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Mullineux Iron Kasteelsig Syrah 2021, 13.5% Abv.
1.8g/l RS | 5.5g/l TA | 3.80pH
Another incredibly intense, densely textured, finely crafted wine displaying a uniquely individual terroir personality of damp earth and iron from the koffeeklip soils, black liquorice and black olive tapenade with saline cassis and black berry, graphite and oyster shell nuances. The beauty and precision on the palate is spectacular and this is where you really get to witness the compact, dry extract density of the Iron vineyard combined with the cool, intense, highly finessed tannin structure of the 2021 vintage. This is a simply sublime composition of classical terroir-driven Syrah that really stops you in your tracts with its utter majesty and poise. Possibly the finest Iron Syrah produced since 2010. Drink from 2024 until 2044+.
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Mullineux wines are imported into the UK by Liberty Wines and available retail from South African fine wine specialist Museum Wines.
One of the many hangovers of the Covid-19 pandemic was the inability to travel resulting in endless zoom tastings that eventually overtook most wine reviewers’ lives. Thankfully, fully immersive wineland travels are back for real but sometimes, tasting on zoom can be very handy especially if you’re tasting some new releases from Chris and Andrea Mullineux while Chris is in South Africa, Andrea is working the trade in San Francisco, and I’m sitting in a sunny London!
Always thrilled to catch up with this wine industry power couple, whether over Mullineux wines or new Leeu Passant releases, but even more so when there are new and exciting maiden releases in the mix! Yes, after how many years working out of a winery in the Franschhoek Valley, the Mullineux’s have finally bottled a Wine of Origin Franschhoek Semillon, and what a cracker it is too! In fact, the entire range of new releases is spectacular, as usual, and definitely worth tracking down and finding a space for them in your cellar.
Included in the line-up is the maiden 2021 Franschhoek Semillon, a steely 2021 Stellenbosch Chardonnay, and the fourth (I think) release of their Radicales Libres Chardonnay from Barrydale. On the reds, the Franschhoek ‘Lotter’ Old Vine Cinsault is sadly no longer, so the Wellington ‘Basson’ Old Vine Cinsault once again takes centre stage alongside an incredible Helderberg Cabernet Sauvignon and a classy, regal, Leeu Passant Dry Red flagship blend.
Leeu Passant Franschhoek Semillon 2021, WO Franschhoek, 12.5% Abv.
2.1g/l RS | 6.0g/l TA | 3.22pH
This impressive maiden release 2021 Franschhoek Semillon seems a perfectly natural progression for the Mullineuxs. Afterall, they have created one of the most impressive wineries in the Franschhoek Valley and Andrea Mullineux is also a great Semillon Gris afficionado. This wonderful Semillon was tasted over three days and while it was suitably impressive on day one, like all Mullineux whites, it gained weight and complexity over the subsequent two days. Initially taut and steely with a hint of stony reduction, the aromatics are already wonderfully complex, showing notes of pithy white citrus, green pear, freshly cut Granny Smith apples, white peach and caper brine over delicate layers of lemongrass, crushed granite, hay and lanolin. The vibrancy and electric acidity are one of Chris and Andrea’s favourite features about this wine, searing the palate with its liquid laser beam intensity and precision. With time in the glass, the stony white and yellow crystalline fruits gain weight and a little extra palate breadth, while all the while remaining supremely elegant, softly spoken and mouth-wateringly appealing. A very impressive wine from a classical top quality white vintage. Drink now and over the next 10 to 15+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Leeu Passant Stellenbosch Chardonnay 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.
1.8g/l RS | 7.2g/l TA | 3.17pH
This Leeu Passant white has always featured as one of the top Chardonnays in South Africa and so not surprisingly, this new expression from the epic 2021 vintage is another superstar. The 2021 shows a cool, steely inner beauty that resonates with bright crystalline aromatics of ripe white citrus, sour yellow grapefruit, warm freshly baked buttered pastries, toasted nuts and a beguiling, evocative minty yellow orchard fruit nuance. The wine slowly unfurls in the glass benefiting immeasurably from being opened, gradually revealing a wonderful complexity and mid-palate depth of green apple cordial, orange citrus oil, stone fruits, tangerine, oatmeal and subtle vanilla pod spice. The racy acids are linear, intense and penetrating, displaying real cut and focus, balancing the pure tangy citrus fruits before tapering off gradually to a clean, tense, mineral finish. A truly pitch perfect expression of cooler coastal Chardonnay that surely deserves a place in your cellar! Drink now in its youth after a short decant or over the next 10 to 15+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Leeu Passant Radicales Libres Chardonnay 2017, WO Klein Karoo, 14% Abv.
1.3g/l RS | 6.7g/l TA | 3.38pH
“Birth and resurrection in a bottle” according to Andrea Mullineux. This wine is an experimental Chardonnay from Joubert Tradouw vineyards in Barrydale, Klein Karoo, originally created in the early days of Leeu Passant when the Mullineux’s were experimenting with various new Chardonnay vineyards around the Western Cape including in the Elandskloof. The 2014 vintage saw the bottling of a Cape Winemakers Guild Radicales Libres Chardonnay to great acclaim, that replaced the one and only Chenin Blanc based Radicales Libres bottling from 2012. Now a regular feature in the range, this 2017 is simply one of the most unique, intense and characterful fine wines produced in the whole of the Cape. Picked at normal ripeness but aged for five years in barrel with a topping up once a year, allows the wine to concentrate naturally to eventually reveal an incredible energy and vibrancy together with intricate but supremely complex aromatics of candied lime peel, roasted hazelnuts, lemon oil, brine, sun dried Granny Smith apples, melted honey, dried herbs and lemon meringue pie. Almost 60 months in barrel has concentrated the complex flavours on the full-bodied palate, leaving an elevated tangy acidity to boldly preserve the wines freshness, elegance and mouth-watering textural harmony. With only 1,780 bottles produced, you may sadly find it very challenging to track down a bottle to indulge yourself. But if you do, pop the cork and bathe in the golden glory of this incredible wine. Drink now and over the next 20+ years. (Due to the slightly oxidative nature of the wine, I tasted it multiple times over a period of 5 days.)
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Leeu Passant Wellington Old Vines Basson Cinsault 2021, WO Wellington, 14% Abv.
2.0g/l RS | 4.9g/l TA | 3.83pH
Always an exceptionally fragrant and expressive wine, this regal centenarian old vine Cinsault bursts forth with deep, bold, rich, complex whole-cluster aromatics of sweet red currant compote, sun raisined cranberry, earthy pomegranate, bramble berry fruits and sweet red plums over potpourri, Turkish delight and delicate rose water notes. On the palate, this 2021 shows a seductive red fruited opulence that is at once plush and accessible but also quite distinctly savoury, laced with a stony, liquid minerality, polished marble tannins and plenty of horsepower under the bonnet. This is about as serious as Cinsault gets with fabulous structure, an intense red cherry fruited concentration and notable muscular palate power. Like all the Basson Cinsaults of recent years, this classical masterpiece will benefit from a good few years in the cellar but is also ready to show its opulence now if you simply cannot wait. Drink from release and over 15 to 20+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Leeu Passant Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.
2.0g/l RS | 5.4g/l TA | 3.6pH
It’s quite curious but one does not automatically think of the Mullineuxs when you mention Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon. But they have, over the past 5 years, slowly and fastidiously crafted one of the most respected expressions of Helderberg Cabernet Sauvignon produced in the Cape. This 2021 is another cool climate beauty that shows a delightfully perfumed aromatic spectrum of fresh violets, dried herbs, pressed rose petals and subtle hints of dried kelp, saline black currant, sweet cherry tobacco, cedar spice and delicate touches of iodine. This is a deliciously sumptuous wine with seamlessly contoured textural lines that would make a 1960’s E-Type Jaguar jealous. The dark cassis laden fruits are plush and creamy with an underlying acid vivacity and salinity that really enliven the wine. Again, I drank this beautiful red wine over three nights and enjoyed it more and more as each day followed. That is not to say it wasn’t utterly delicious on day one, but if you know Andrea’s winemaking precision, she hides all sorts of secrets in her wines that are only really revealed after a couple of days open. This of course bodes particularly well for those patient enough to cellar these vinous gems for more than a few years. This 2021 displays a freshness and brilliance not often seen on Cabernet Sauvignon and is by far one of the most attractive vintages produced to date. Drink on release and over the next 20+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Leeu Passant Flagship Red 2020, WO Coastal Region, 13.5%
1.9g/l RS | 5.5g/l TA | 3.52pH
The 2020 edition of the flagship Leeu Passant dry red blend, as inspired by some of the classical heritage red blends of the 1950’s and 1960’s, is made up of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Cabernet Franc, both sourced in the Helderberg, blended together with 10% of Cinsault from the 120+ year old vine Basson Wellington vineyard that is farmed and managed by the Mullineuxs. The 2020 is not a particularly powerful vintage but more a year of perfume and floral intricacy. The aromatics are nevertheless broad and complex revealing notes of sweet cedar spice, fragrant dried violets, potpourri, saline black currant and a dusty, chalky, granitic minerality. On the palate there is a definite feeling of fruit concentration and salinity, power and assured confidence supported by compact sweet glycerol tannins and a bright tangy acidity. The palate is broad and dense, and its flavour sensations wash over the tongue in tidal waves of black currant, bramble berries and black cherries with a black tea tannin spice. This is a serious effort but also a vintage showing a lot more accessibility earlier on without compromising its age ability. If you are clever enough to put some of this in your cellar, you can expect to see it evolve beneficially for at least 15 to 20+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The wines are distributed to trade in the UK by Liberty Wines and to the trade in the US by Skurnik Wines.
Every year since 2008 the Mullineuxs have made a vintage Straw Wine. The two vineyards they chose to make this very sweet but incredibly special Straw Wine are naturally very high in acid, flavour and structure. This way, when they pick the grapes at normal ripeness and then dry them outside during the desiccation process, they are not just concentrating sugar and flavour but also increasing the intense, zesty acidity that is so critically important when making a balanced Straw Wine.
After drying the grapes for several weeks, the grapes are crushed and pressed into barrel where a long, slow natural fermentation takes place. Along with the concentration of acids in the wine, there is a concentration of specifically the malic acid. This high level of malic acid prevents the onset of Malolactic fermentation, which of course seems counter intuitive. The wine always stops its slow fermentation naturally after 8-10 months, so no additional intervention takes place and (here’s where the difference is), while the vintage Straw Wine is bottled, a few barrels are selected that go into a special Solera system of barrel aging that was started with their first Mullineux vintage back in 2008. They decided to bottle the first iteration of OLERASAY (1º) that was a fractional blend of 2008 to 2014, when it was different enough from the regular vintage straw wine. The 2º bottling then took place five years later when the 2008-2019 OLERASAY was considered different enough from the first release.
Now they are releasing the OLERASAY 3º which has not only completed the original drying process off the vine but has continued to concentrate and stabilise in barrel over all of those years, concentrating again in sugar, flavour and natural acidity but also in extract, layers of mouthfeel and additional complexity. As Andrea confidently says… “this wine is bulletproof.” The maiden release was a real revelation and took the market by storm. In a world where apparently fine wine drinkers don’t buy sweet wine anymore, the wine received a rapturous welcome from consumers and collectors alike. The 5,000+ plus bottle production did not last very long in the market making the five year long wait until the second release a very thirsty and gruelling period of time for sweet wine lovers. The second release was rated 99/100 by A FINE WINE SAFARI and an astonishing 100/100 by Neal Martin at VINOUS Media. All eyes are now on the third, smaller bottling, and if initial mutterings from critics are anything to go by, this wine should continue the incredible success the OLERASAY brand has enjoyed since its inception.
Mullineux OLERASAY 3º, WO Swartland, 8.42% Abv.
375 g/l RS | 11.2 g/l TA | 3.3 pH
Picked with yields around 4 tons per hectare with a balling of 22 at harvest, the concentration and intensity of this wine is clear to see from the word go. The aromatics on opening initially were slightly more boldly fruity with youthful nuances of peaches and dried apricot, marmalade, passion fruit and honey. But with a little time and exposure to air, the nose becomes a lot more perfumed and intricate as it starts to unfurl to show more of its solera complexity. The aromatics display notes of dried rose petals, peach tea, chamomile and honey and an underlying note of dried straw, freshly baked apple strudel pastries and crème brulee. On the palate the texture is dreamy and plush, superbly balanced with a silky soft glycerol texture that glides off the tongue like a drop of oil on a block of ice. The intensity is focused and fabulously potent with incredible depth and breadth without ever becoming too unctuous, overwhelming, or too sweet thanks to a deliciously intense, invigorating tangy acidity. The finish is splendidly long and persistent leaving an attractive aftertaste of caramelized almonds, marzipan and dried guava roll. Simply pitch perfect. What else can one say other than this truly is an extraordinary and unique vinous creation. Drink now and over the next 40+ years. (1,800 x 375cl bottles released.)
Now recognised as one of the Swartland’s leading quality producers, tasting the new releases of the Mullineux single terroir wines is always a special occasion. With an incredibly strong and loyal following in the USA, Andrea’s mother country, as well as in the UK, the Mullineux’s have seen their hard work both in the winery and out on the marketing road start to pay off in reputation as well as collectability over the past few years.
I caught up with Chris Mullineux recently in London and tasted the delicious new red single terroir releases face to face while quizzing him on vintage and vineyard conditions. I’m sure this is exactly the grilling he would have wanted after a long five week family holiday in the USA! As usual, the wines are exceptional, even benchmark for the vintage and will command a lot of attention when they hit the market fully.
Mullineux Granite Syrah 2019, WO Swartland, 13.6% Abv.
RS 2.0 g/l | TA 5.2 g/l | pH 3.8
Now sourced from a single parcel of 25-year-old dry land grown Syrah planted on decomposed granite on the Jakalsfontein farm now owned by Adi Badenhorst in the Paardeberg, the grapes picked at 24 Hl/Ha, were foot trodden in 500 litre French oak barrels to break the berries. After 4 days of macerating, the fermentation began naturally with indigenous yeasts and lasted for around 10 to 14 days. After fermentation, the wine saw a further 4 weeks of skin maceration before being pressed into barrel to complete malolactic fermentation. Pigeage was performed once a day before, during and after fermentation. In the Spring, the wine was racked after 21 months in barrel and was bottled unfiltered and unfined. The wine saw 12 months in French oak 500 litre barrels, 50% new, followed by 10 months in 2,000 litre foudre. A final 9 months of ageing in bottle was carried out before release.
True to form, the Mullineux Granite Syrah is once again exquisitely perfumed and fragrant with a wonderfully lifted aromatic complexity of violets, lilac, peach blossom and subtle hints of white pepper, crushed red cherries and a delicately dusty, herby, fynbos garrigue character. The palate is texturally pinpoint and fabulously composed and precise with incredible harmony and balance but also the true taut granitic acid frame that makes this wine so distinct from its Schist and Iron siblings. Wonderfully cool, concentrated and savoury, there are delicious notes of cured meats, pink musk, red berries, mulberries and classic Swartland chalky talcum powder tannins. While this wine may not always be the most fruity and obvious style of Syrah, its aromatics and perfume are intoxicating and the acid frame steely and forceful. Hard not to love this wine! (4,560 bottles produced.)
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Mullineux Schist Roundstone Syrah 2019, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.
RS 1.9g/l | TA 4.9 g/l | pH 3.72
The grapes for the 2019 Schist Syrah were sourced from 22-year-old vines planted on stony shale and schist soils on the Roundstone farm where the Mullineux winery is based next door to the Kasteelberg. As with the Granite and Iron cuvees, the grapes were foot trodden in 500 litre French oak barrels to break the berries and release the juices. After 4 days of macerating, the fermentation begun naturally with indigenous yeasts and lasted around 10 days. After fermentation, the wine saw a further 4 weeks of skin maceration before being pressed into barrel to complete malolactic fermentation. The wine saw 12 months in French oak 500 litre barrels, 50% new, followed by 10 months in 2000 litre foudre. A final 9 months of ageing in bottle was carried out before release.
Chris and Andrea Mullineux in the vineyards at 2022 harvest time in the Swartland.
The vines for the 2019 Schist Syrah were planted in 1999 on the Roundstone farm and originally used for the Mullineux estate Syrah, with the top 10 rows of the same block historically going into Eben Sadie’s famed Columella red blend. While there is irrigation available, the vineyard is now fully dry farmed. I always talk about this wine as being the consumers’ ‘darling wine’ in the single terroir range with seductive, alluring aromatics of pomegranate, blood orange, red currant, Earl Grey tea and crushed slate minerality nuances. Always supremely elegant and approachable, the 2019 shows a truly magical balance of concentrated, textural red and black fruit intensity together with sleek fresh acids and incredibly tight knit, polished, fine-grained tannins. This is an unbelievably complete wine that slowly but surely seduces you sip by sip. Tasted over two days, my impressions of this wine simply grew ever larger the longer the bottle was open. The novice fine wine drinker will love the Schist 2019 (as usual) while the discerning collector will perhaps acquire a new appreciation for this icon Swartland Syrah. (2,700 bottles produced. The only wine bottled every year since 2010.)
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Mullineux Iron Syrah 2019, WO Swartland, 13.5% Abv.
RS 1.9 g/l | TA 5.2 g/l | pH 3.9
Grapes for the 2019 Iron Syrah were sourced from a single parcel of 20-year-old organically farmed dry land bush vines on the rolling iron-rich soils west of Malmesbury. This parcel of Syrah gives one of the best expressions of the “koffieklip” terroir – notably broadness and mid-palate concentration. As with the Granite and Schist cuvees, the grapes were foot trodden in 500 litre French oak barrels to break the berries and release the juices. After 4 days of macerating, the fermentation begun naturally with indigenous yeasts and lasted around 10 days. After fermentation, the wine saw a further 4 weeks of skin maceration before being pressed into barrel to complete malolactic fermentation. The wine saw 12 months in French oak 500 litre barrels, 50% new, followed by 10 months in 2,000 litre foudre. A final 9 months of ageing in bottle was carried out before release.
With always incredibly strict fruit selection, there was no 2016 Iron Syrah produced but it has been one of the most classically old world Syrah’s in the Mullineux’s single terroir range with the 2017 and 2018 ‘drought vintages’ being altogether more muscular, dense and powerful. In 2019, Chris Mullineux claims the wine returns to its roots with more elegance, polished harmony and a textured savoury Cotie Rotie northern Rhone finesse. The aromatics are packed with savoury black and blueberry fruits, crushed tomato leaf and herby hints of dried oregano and sage. On the palate, the wine is altogether more regal, light footed and elegant in a notable departure from the muscular recent vintages. The palate is deliciously classical and Rhone-like showing a broad savoury spectrum of red berry fruits, hints of Cornas style blood and iron, impressively sleek polished mineral stony tannins and a calmer, more velvety, sumptuous textured density on the finish. A wine that sometimes splits opinions stylistically, but never when it comes to agreeing on its exceptional quality. (3,300 bottles produced.)
I recently tasted the phenomenal 2017 Mullineux Syrah again with Andrea Mullineux and was just blown away by the balance, intensity and poise of the wine. While chatting about the 2017, Andrea expressed her real excitement surrounding the release of the new 2018 Syrah which she thought might just be their winery’s best effort yet. High praise indeed.
While 2018 was the last of four drought vintages in the Cape and severely affected the Swartland region, there seems to be some consensus that the vines had slowly started to become more accustomed to the severely dry conditions. This new release was made from grapes grown in seven different vineyards all with differing terroirs – four vineyards on shale and schist, two on granite and one on iron soils. Up to 80%-90% of the fruit was whole-bunch fermented and was then matured for a further 14 months in 15% new French oak barrels, old oak barrels and also foudre.
Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines Syrah 2018, WO Swartland, 13.5% Abv.
This is a very expressive wine with complex aromatics loaded with grilled herbs, lavender, fresh bresaola, red berries, cherry cola and savoury black berry notes with a tantalising dusting of white pepper. The palate is full, fleshy, layered and impressively textured with a weightless harmonious clarity of savoury red and blue berry fruits, soft mellow acids and light airy tannins that show a fine liquid mineral schisty grip on the finish. A wonderfully supple Syrah expression that throws a spotlight on the impressive winemaking talents of the Mullineuxs. Drink now and over 10 to 15+ years.
For many, 2020 will undoubtedly be a year to forget, an annus horribilis of pandemics, economic crises and lockdown blues. But while it might be marked for being a challenging year all-round, it will also hopefully be remembered in fine wine circles for the highly anticipated second release of the famed Mullineux sweet wine, the Olerasay Straw Wine made from air dried Chenin Blanc grapes.
The Olerasay No.1 or “Primiero” as Chris and Andrea call it, was an inspired creation that fractionally blended multiple vintages of their prestigious Chenin Blanc Straw Wine into a mellow, ultra complex multi-vintage blend covering components parts from 2008 to 2014. With the reputation for the Mullineux Straw Wine already well established, the Olerasay Primiero took the wine world by storm and garnered sky high scores such as 99/100 from Neal Martin at Vinous but also a rare 99/100 from the Fine Wine Safari.
A truly incredible wine, the Primiero Olerasay sadly came and went all too quickly in the retail market and by the time many consumers woke up to the greatness of this wine, it was completely unobtainable except at auction. Five years later we are finally being treated to the release of Olerasay No.2 or “Segundo” which is made up of component vintages from 2008 to 2019.
Straw Wine Chenin Blanc before pressing.
Grapes are sourced from the Mullineux’s own vineyards (owned or leased), primarily from the Schist based soils of the Kasteelberg and the decomposed Granite based soils of the Paardeberg. Vineyards are picked at the normal time with around 22-23 Brix sweetness but are then dried outdoors in the shade under nets for three to four weeks allowing the moisture in the grapes to evaporate naturally, concentrating sugars, acids and the natural Chenin Blanc flavours.
However, the vineyards selected every year are always the blocks showing higher acids at full ripeness, very healthy clean bunches of just the right size with grapes not too tightly packed together to avoid any problems with Rot.
Always 100% Chenin Blanc, the Segundo was bottled on the 17th of January 2020, producing 6,180 375cl bottles or 515 cases of 6. The total RS at bottling was 331 g/l balanced by a TA of 11.3 g/l and a pH of 3.36. The final blend is bottled unfiltered and unfortified from 225 litre French oak barrels in the solera. Beautiful old gold yellow, the aromatics on this wine are spectacular! Every time you take a sniff, the wine offers up yet another layer of complexity. Always vibrant and fresh, the nose shows truly delicious notes of lemon cordial, passion fruit, sweet white peaches, honey on warm white toast, grapefruit preserve and zesty piquant notes of tangerines and Seville Orange marmalade. Utterly mesmerising, you could easily sit and nose a glassful for an age before even contemplating taking a sip. The rich fruit aromatics are followed by yet more dried fruit characteristics with pronounced nuances of dried apricots and pineapple slices, grilled nuts, dusty granite and blood oranges. The palate too is enthralling and delivers on all the expectations. Dense, creamy and textured, the wine remains fresh to the very end with the help of a razor sharp balancing acidity. This may have 331 g/l residual sugar but at no point does the palate feel clawing or over the top. It really is the luxurious complexity combined with the vibrant freshness and purity of fruit that make this wine a real knockout. No oxidative sherry or toffee notes to speak off, just a beautiful intensity of candied fruit. As this is a solera style sweet wine, you can certainly drink it on release without any guilt but it will of course age practically forever! Drink from 2020 to 2060+. (6,180 bottles produced.)
I recently caught up with Chris and Andrea Mullineux over Zoom for an intimate tasting of their new Leeu Passant releases. Instead of running through all the wines in one foul swoop, I thought I would afford each wine the time and respect they deserve by profiling each new release in three separate reviews. So following on from Part 1 profiling the delicious Franschhoek Old Vine Lotter Cinsault and Part 2 reviewing the grand old Wellington Old Vine Basson Cinsault, the final instalment features probably one of my favourite new Leeu Passant wines… their Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon.
Chris and Andrea Mullineux have spent years trying to fine tune a style of Cabernet Sauvignon with ripe fruit flavours, intensity and structure. After working with over 20 vineyards around Stellenbosch, they have focused on five vineyards including two in the Helderberg, two in the Polkadraai Hills and one 39 year old parcel in Firgrove close to False Bay. Three of these five vineyards already contribute fruit that goes into their flagship Leeu Passant Dry Red Blend together with components of the Lotter Cinsault, the Wellington Basson Cinsault and a splash of Cabernet Franc.
With vines grown on a mix of alluvial soils and decomposed granite soils, the grapes produce a sleek, crystalline, elegant style of Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon that the Mullineuxs admit has a certain Swartland tilt to the approach and style. Using French oak 500 litres barrels of which only around 30% are new, the wines are aged for 12 months before being moved to larger 2000 and 5000 litre upright oak vats for another year of aging. The wine spends a final six months in bottle prior to release.
Leeu Passant Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
These cooler sites for Cabernet Sauvignon definitely perform well in this new release for the Leeu Passant red repertoire. The nose is magnificently perfumed, complex and utterly compelling, teasing the senses with violets and cherry blossom, lavender, pithy red cherry, sour black plums, black currant and a deep dark vein of spicy graphite minerality with just the slightest veneer of dried cedar and tarragon herbal spice. The palate texture is harmonious, tender, lightly saline and utterly seductive, displaying a fleshy medium bodied weight with bright fresh tart black berry acids, creamy milk chocolate tannins and a spicy crystalline blueberry fruited finish that is positively loaded with invigorating energy. Like the other two new releases, I obediently drank this bottle over three nights and while the majority of my score was cemented within the first few sips on day one, the expressive and energetic nature of this wine really did start to show with further air, confirming my complete adoration for this wine. This surely has got to be one of the most exciting ‘new’ pure expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon to come out of Stellenbosch in recent years? Drink now and over the next 20+ years.
The Cape Wine Makers Guild represents innovation, benchmarking and the sharing of knowledge spanning over thirty three years of winemaking excellence. The Guild, an association of some of South Africa’s finest winemakers, has evolved into a body of 49 members who jointly represent the pinnacle of South African winemaking.
So of course, when I recently hooked up with Chris and Andrea Mullineux at their Roundstone farm, no prizes for guessing which unicorn bottle I liberated out of their cellar!!🍷
Cape Winemakers Guild Andrea Mullineux Leeu Passant Old Vine Cinsault 2015, WO Franschhoek, 13.5 Abv.
A beautiful expression from this 91 year old vineyard in Franschhoek. Andrea affords this grand old vineyard its due respect handling the fruit in a more serious crushed berry whole bunch style instead of a whole bunch carbonique style. Broad and texturally very complex, the wine unfurls in layers of sweet cherry, Turkish delight, marzipan and sappy oak spice. Full and distinguished, this medium bodied wine is an expertly crafted, supremely elegant version of Cinsault that turns a touch more serious and tannic on the firm, focused finish. Superb poise, impressive refinement and very precise and self assured. What else would you expect from Andrea Mullineux? Give it a year or 5 in bottle and drink over 20+.
