Mullineux Wines Releases Another Classical Line-up of Their Swartland Single Terroir Wines – Part 1: Tasting the New Release Chenin Blanc 2023 Whites…

July 23, 2024July 23, 2024 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

After the atypical vintage conditions of 2021, the Swartland seems to have returned to its more usual pattern of hot and dry growing seasons for 2022 and 2023. In 2022, the region saw good winter rains and then the return of some heat spikes during verasion from January to March… “spikes more than heat waves” as Chris Mullineux explained, followed by cool spells which helped mitigate the earlier heat. Generally picked later compared to average, late February compared to early February due to the later start. But as Chris points out, “Chenin Blanc, and to a certain degree Syrah as well, are more drought avoiding cultivars rather than drought resistant, being able to ripen their fruit earlier and quicker as opposed to just coping well with a long, dry hot harvest.”

The 2023 season also saw good winter rains above average and the season started pretty late, leading to a warm, dry vintage. From Veraison, the days were mostly over 30c, and every day was warm, but the evenings were cooler. A classic Swartland vintage. All reds were picked long before the storms hit the Cape when some Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek producers still had some late ripening red varieties hanging on the vines.

All wines were tasted from Zalto Bordeaux glasses and reviewed over the course of three days after opening.

Mullineux Granite Eikelaan Chenin Blanc 2023, WO Swartland, 14% Abv.

1.8g/l RS | 6.5g/l TA | 3.3pH

Hailing from a 47-year-old dry land bush vine vineyard named Eikelaan (“lane of Oak trees”), the GRANITE Chenin Blanc, is the Mullineux’s highest altitude Granite soil vineyard on the Paardeberg. Due to its root formations being able to travel quite deep in the decomposed granite terroir, the canopies remain full and provide cool shade to both the fruit and the vines, thus safeguarding them from temperature fluctuations and sun. This in turn culminates in a Swartland Chenin Blanc with great elevated freshness, retention of perfume and linear ageing. The grapes were harvested on the 16th of February 2023 with a yield of 4 tons/ha, which translated to 24HL/ha. Grapes were harvested by hand in the cool early morning hours, the grapes were then whole bunch pressed to barrel and the juice handled oxidatively, ensuring longevity of the wine once in bottle. Primary and secondary fermentation completed its natural respective cycles without any interference, after which minimal SO2 was added and, in line with their ethos, no further additions were made. The wine was left on the lees in its respective barrels until spring, then racked and blended just before the 2024 vintage and bottled unfiltered. The GRANITE Chenin Blanc wine was matured for 10 months in 225L French oak barrels.

This beautiful 1976 old vine Chenin Blanc serves up a wonderful array of flavours in this “classic Swartland vintage” in 2023. Normally lean, reductive and incredibly tight grained and mineral, this year’s expression of the Granite Chenin Blanc boasts a wealth of rich yellow stone fruits and plenty of white flowers, fynbos, sour plum, peach and yellow citrus perfume. There is definitely more density, palate breadth and depth while retaining its telltale linear, taut, mineral demeanour. Despite being a turbo charged expression, the 2023 Granite Chenin Blanc still has the highest acidity of the three single terroir wines, finely balancing intense bruised yellow orchard fruit and orange marmalade notes on the palate. The finish is super pure and concentrated, deliciously tangy and superbly balanced. A real beauty to drink now and over the next 10 to 15+ years. (469 cases produced)

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Mullineux Iron Rondomskrik Chenin Blanc 2023, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.

1.9g/l RS | 5.6g/l TA | 3.4pH

The ripening phase of the IRON Chenin Blanc bush vine vineyard is always ahead of their other single terroir Chenin Blancs and the 2023 vintage was no exception, producing the steadfast natural extract, balanced acidity, and alluring texture that they’ve grown accustomed to receiving from the Koffieklip soils where these vines live. This very special vineyard, now exclusively farmed for the IRON Chenin Blanc by the Mullineux team, is situated on the rolling hills outside of Malmesbury, enjoys cool nights and mild days during the growing season, which further contributes to the small and concentrated grapes of this Chenin Blanc. The grapes were hand-harvested on 2nd and 3rd of February 2023 with a yield of 4 tons/ha, which translated to 24HL/ha. This vintage being only the third ever release of the IRON Chenin Blanc, was managed in the cellar with the same attention to detail and careful handling of the delicate and tiny yield, as all our other wines. Both the primary and secondary fermentations spontaneously started and finished with indigenous yeast and a very small amount of Sulphur was added once the natural settling of the wine had completed. The wine was matured for 21 months in 225L French oak barrels.

Only the third vintage of the Iron single terroir Chenin Blanc produced (with the Quartz vineyard still going into the Old Vine White blend), this vineyard grown on a little knowl or hill, with persistent winds making for naturally small berries with a notable richness and ripeness, and also making this the earliest ripening of all the single vineyard sites. The aromatics are once again loaded with plenty of stone fruit complexity, beautifully perfumed with fragrant white flowers, honeydew melon, waxy orange peel, pineapple rock candy and a seductive soap stone minerality. A very confident wine showing great palate symmetry, a tight core of yellow fruits and hints of savoury lees, finishing with a lovely cool, lime lemon peel pith on the tangy fresh finish. A vibrant, harmonious wine that once again shows the highest levels of dry extract. Drink on release and over the next 10+ years. (506 cases produced)

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Mullineux Schist Roundstone Chenin Blanc 2023, WO Swartland, 14% Abv.

1.9g/l RS | 6.3g/l TA | 3.35pH

The home of Mullineux, Roundstone Farm, has become synonymous with their SCHIST soils, where these Chenin Blanc bush vines flourish due to the well-suited appellation, as well as being consistently sustainably farmed by the Mullineuxs. The rocky soils limit vine size and so the clusters and individual grapes in turn remain smaller with a higher skin to juice ratio. This contributes to the structure of this wine, and with each vintage, mirrors the freshness and pure sunshine that define their SCHIST Chenin Blanc. The grapes were hand-harvested between 7th and 8th of February 2023 with a yield of 5 tons/ha, which translated to 30HL/ha. Carefully picked during the cool daybreak, the fruit was whole bunched pressed into barrel where fermentation started spontaneously. Once all the natural yeasts and microbes completed their predestined purpose, the wine was left to voluntarily settle on its own. This Chenin Blanc spent seven months on its lees in barrel, ensued by racking, blending and unfiltered bottling to further showcase its Swartland SCHIST characteristics. The wine was matured for 21 months in 225L French oak barrels.

Produced from grapes grown in a vineyard just below the Mullineux’s main house on the Roundstone property on shallow rocky soils, with much smaller “bonsai-style” bush vines yielding small grapes loaded with extra phenolics and more exposure to the sunlight. The aromatics are rich, exotic, and intense, packed full of white and orange citrus, fynbos, nectarine, honey, white peaches, and juicy honeydew melon nuances. As Chris says, you can definitely taste the sunshine on the grapes with this 2023 Schist. The palate is equally intense and concentrated, boasting layer upon layer of peach, tangerine, and sour yellow plum fruit before a zesty, vibrant acidity kicks in to add freshness and extra frame to the mouthfeel. Finishing with a subtle leesy, buttered white toast complexity, this is definitely a very special premium Chenin Blanc release from the Mullineuxs. Drink on release and over the next 10 to 15+ years. (361 cases produced)

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Mullineux Wines are imported into the UK by Liberty Wines and are available retail on request from specialist South African merchant Museum Wines.

Assessing the New Releases from Mullineux Wines – Part 1: Tasting the Single Terroir 2021 Chenin Blanc Whites…

August 5, 2022August 15, 2022 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Mullineuxs have put an immense amount of blood, sweat and tears into creating their Mullineux Old Vine White Blend and their Mullineux Syrah. With the latest releases in 2022, we see both wines rising to unseen levels of quality and the 2021 Old Vine White is definitely their most distinguished creation to date. A wine not to be missed. But these wines only tell half the story. Much of the rise in quality of these larger production wines from a blend of vineyard sites can be attributed to the knowledge and expertise acquired over the past decade of producing the more niche Mullineux Single Terroir wines.

With the 2021 whites and 2020 red releases, the Mullineuxs have been granted permission from all farmers and vineyard owners involved to use the actual farm names on all the labels for the first time across the range. Previously, only the Mullineux Schist wines carried the Roundstone designation on the front labels. With all the experience and expertise has also come an extra confidence for the Mullineuxs to trumpet the site-specific origin of these wines, all of which now show noticeably specific vineyard traits and similarities from their terroirs year after year. I caught up with the power couple Chris and Andrea Mullineux recently and tasted through their new range of wines with them.

The Single Terroir Whites:

Wines were tasted from Zalto Bordeaux glasses and reviewed over the course of three days.

Mullineux Granite Eikelaan Chenin Blanc 2021, WO Swartland, 13.98% Abv.

1.9 g/l RS | 6.5 g/l TA | 3.27 pH

These grapes grown on the Paardeberg showcase everything the Mullineuxs are looking for in wines that hail from Granite Soils. The roots grow deep, so the canopy remains very full, protecting it from sun and temperature fluctuations. The grapes then retain more freshness and perfume. At the winery, the grapes are whole bunch pressed and the juice is handled oxidatively to protect it later in its life. All of the juice is racked to barrel (0% new because they want all of the elements of this wine’s terroir to show through so consumers are tasting the soil and not the barrel, but older wood is still desired because of the positive micro-oxygenation effect it naturally has on the wine) where it undergoes natural primary and secondary fermentation and lives on the lees, un-stirred (the texture is coming from the South African Sun and Old Vines) until racking out of barrel to prepare for bottling after 11 months. Andrea leave’s the barrels full as long as possible because a full barrel is a happy barrel. The wine is bottled unfiltered to further showcase the Swartland Granite terroir.

The 2021 vintage in the Swartland was late because it was such a slow, cool and balanced vintage which shows in the wines, especially with the Granite Chenin Blanc due to longer hang times adding extra texture and mouthfeel to compliment the Granite’s racy acidity and linear tension. Across the range, the ripening of the Iron vineyard came first, followed by the Schist vineyard, ending with the Granite vineyard, picked over a 10-day period of time differentiation with no heatwaves. With the two weeks of extra hangtime, the wine displays more alluring yellow orchard fruit notes together with aromatic layers of tangerine, greengage plums and yellow citrus nuances. While there may be ample exotic fruit notes on the nose, all the intense granitic liquid minerality that is so typical for this wine are clear to be seen on the palate, supported by a zippy but tangy fresh acidity, an impressively sleek, sumptuous palate texture and the most delicious mouth-watering intensity on the finish. A super fine expression of how a taut, linear Chenin Blanc can also be so incredibly multi-dimensional in a top vintage. Simply a majestic drop of wine to drink now and over the next 20+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Mullineux Schist Roundstone Chenin Blanc 2021, WO Swartland, 13.95% Abv.

1.7 g/l RS | 5.8 g/l TA | 3.40 pH

These very special and characterful grapes grown on Kasteelberg showcase the essence of the Mullineux estate, Roundstone, and its ability to define Chenin Blanc grown on Schist soils. These rocky soils limit vine size and so the clusters and individual grapes, in turn remain smaller with a higher skin to juice ratio, offering positive white-wine tannins and texture. At the winery the grapes are whole bunch pressed and the juice is handled oxidatively to protect it later in its life. All of the juice is racked to barrel (0% new because Andrea wants all of the elements of this wine’s terroir to show through so drinkers are tasting the soil and not the barrel, but older wood is still desired because of the positive micro-oxygenation effect it naturally has on the wine) where it undergoes natural primary and secondary fermentation and lives on the lees, un-stirred until racking out of barrel to prepare for bottling after 11 months.

Coming from fruit from a young vineyard of seven years old which was picked almost two to three weeks later than normal. The shallower, rockier soils of the Roundstone vineyard traditionally yield more stone fruit aromatic nuances with the 2021 expression also boasting multiple layers of white and green citrus, pear puree, golden delicious apples and complex white peach notes intertwined with savoury dried herbs and subtle struck flint reductive hints. On the palate the wine is full and expansive but wonderfully precise and seamless, gliding over the palate with hints of honey of white toast, quince, white peach puree and an incredible concentration before melting away slowly to leave a dry, picante, phenolic tinged impression on the finish. A wine with striking depth, concentration and generosity. Drink now and over the next 15+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Mullineux Iron Rondomskrik Chenin Blanc 2021, WO Swartland, 12.65% Abv.

1.5 g/l RS | 5.7 g/l TA | 3.49 pH

Grown on the Iron soils on the rolling red hills that surround Malmesbury, these vineyards grow on the clay and gravel rich Koffieklip that is very good at holding water and very generous during primary growth in the sprint, but then around verasion, the clay in the soil stops releasing moisture and the vine compensates during this quick ripening phase by making the smallest of grapes, but because of the canopy, the skins are not too thick. This gives us wines that are rich and round, yet for some reason, always the lowest alcohol conversions for similar sugars across the Single Terroir Range (they are all picked at the same ripeness). At the winery the grapes are whole bunch pressed and the juice is handled oxidatively to protect it later in its evolution. All of the juice is then racked into used oak barrels (older wood is still desired because of the positive micro-oxygenation effect it naturally has on the wine) where it undergoes natural primary and secondary fermentation and lives on the lees, un-stirred until racking out of barrel to prepare for bottling after 11 months.

Only the second white single terroir expression produced from this white vineyard, the aromatics boast and incredibly reductive character with notes of struck flint, wet river stones and wet hay. Always a wine that tends toward reduction making it a real characteristic of the vineyard, even with oxidative handling. The palate is smoky and chalky, thoroughly mineral driven at the moment but with big mid-palate weight and concentration from a high dry extract. There is plenty of inherent detail and precision, an incredibly fine line of acidity supporting distinct notes of quince, chamomile, green herbs, savoury bruised yellow orchard fruits and a dried mint leaf nuance on the long intense finish. This is a wine that will need some extra time in bottle to show at its best but should be a stunner when it approaches its peak maturity. Drink from 2024 to 2035+.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wines available to the wine trade in the UK from their importer Liberty Wines and in the USA from Skurnik Wines. RRP in the UK circa £49pb for whites and £78pb for the reds. In South Africa, R1175pb for the reds and R630pb for the whites cellar door.

Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines Release a Trio of Benchmark 2018 Single Terroir Syrahs…

August 31, 2020August 31, 2020 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

With the allocation list opening for the Mullineux single terroir wines, casual drinkers, connoisseurs and collectors alike are going to be in for a big treat with the new 2018s. These three superb single terroir Syrah expressions have over the past eight years garnered almost every possible award available to South African producers reaffirming their exceptional quality but also the foresight, vision and attention to detail that has become a relentless crusade for Chris and Andrea Mullineux.

I tasted these three unique single terroir expressions with Chris and Andrea recently and was very, very impressed by the consistently excellent quality of these 2018 Swartland Syrahs. So much hype and media attention has rightly centred around the 2017 vintage reds primarily thanks to the incredible Cabernets and Cabernet based blends from Stellenbosch. But 2018 represents something very special in the Swartland and finally we are able to see the results. So get on to the Mullineux allocation hotline pronto!

Mullineux Granite Syrah 2018, WO Swartland, 13.5% Abv.

RS 2.1 g/l – TA 5.1 g/l – pH 3.672

Sourced from a single parcel of 24 year old dry land grown Syrah planted on decomposed granite in the Paardeberg, 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. 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, 25% new, followed by 9 months in 2nd fill foudre. A final 9 months of ageing in bottle was carried out before release.

Just as Andrea Mullineux always enthuses, this Granite Syrah is yet again just so exquisitely perfumed with fragrant lifted notes of lavender and lilac, hints of violets and subtle notes of cherry blossom. A veritable Rhoney Garden of Eden. There is a wonderous beauty to the wine that teases the senses with multiple complex aromatic layers of wet gravel, fresh black currants, sun baked strawberries and hints of savoury cured meats, subtle juniper berry notes and sweet red and black peppercorn nuances. Intricately crafted and sublimely expressive, the palate shows a very pure and focused precision with silky, powdery almost creamy tannins that combine with dense, concentrated, tight knit red and black berry fruits, red currant compote, pithy blood orange zest and a long, fine-grained lingering finish that leaves you feeling so utterly charmed. The purity of fruit and compact textural focus and concentration is almost faultless and suggest that this wine is going to evolve into one hell of a Syrah beauty if allowed to age 10 to 15 years for starters. While always fabulous on release, these wines are built to reward extended ageing and so 6 to 8 years should be considered the minimum ageing requisite if you really want to start seeing some of the extra hidden dimensions of this wine. (5,376 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Mullineux Schist Roundstone Syrah 2018, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.

RS 1.9g/l – TA 4.9 g/l – pH 3.72

The grapes for the 2018 Schist Syrah were sourced from 21 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. 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, 25% new, followed by 9 months in 2nd fill foudre. A final 9 months of ageing in bottle was carried out before release.

The brown Schist soils of the Roundstone farm.

While the Mullineux’s are adamant that the Schist Syrah is always one of the most structured wines out of their single terroir reds range, the density and structure always seems to translate into extreme finesse, plush concentration and a seductive elegance, making this one of the most sought after cuvees by the “man in the street.” But like all great fine wines, when supreme quality is present, these wines can be drunk literally from the barrel with equal pleasure offered in youth as with bottle age. The 2018 Schist continues the vintage theme of mid-palate concentration and fruit density with an incredibly rich, plummy, fragrant aromatics laced with lavender and incense, savoury barbequed meats, charcoal embers, olive tapenade and earthy blackberry fruits. The palate is cool and velvety with a massive mouth coating concentration of red and black berry fruits, powdery dry tannins and all the depth and breath you’d expect from a wine of this pedigree. Decant and drink this beauty on release or bury away in your cellar for a good 10 to 15 years. (5,340 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Mullineux Iron Syrah 2018, WO Swartland, 14% Abv.

RS 2.2 g/l – TA 5.1 g/l – pH 3.78

Grapes for the 2018 Iron Syrah were sourced from a single parcel of 19-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 expression 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. 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, 25% new, followed by 9 months in 2nd fill foudre. A final 9 months of ageing in bottle was carried out before release.

The dry grown Syrah vines of the Iron vineyard.

Often described as one of the most intellectually challenging wines in the Mullineux line up, the Iron Syrah also happens to be the most powerful, dense, concentrated and broody of the single terroir Syrah releases. Perhaps it is my love for the classical Northern Rhone Syrah expressions of France that make this wine so singularly and utterly seductive and beguiling. The aromatics are indistinguishable from a top Cote-Rotie Syrah with fabulous layers of sweet heady lavender perfume, rooibos, garrigue and savoury grilled herbs, barbequed meats and hints of iron and blood, iodine, bruleed earth and hedonistic notes of sweet oak spice, roasted coffee beans and a kiss of mocha complexity. So impressively compact, dense and concentrated, every component seems to add synergy to the seamless balance with the tannin management excelling yet again. This is truly a wine of impressive power and beauty within an international fine wine context. Drink from release after decanting or age for 15 to 20+ years. (2,628 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)