When the Mullineuxs settled in the Swartland, there was but only a handful of daring yet pioneering winemakers, even as the "bread basket" of South Africa was already home to sizeable parcels of old vine Chenin Blanc, Syrah and Cinsault (or Cinsaut, as is locally spelt), interspersed with local and international varieties such as Pinotage, Douro's Tinta Barocca, and the occasional Cabernet Sauvignon. Whilst lying amongst these fields were some incredibly magnificent parcels, much of these fruit was simply grown as part of a broader mixed crop farming practice (that included wheat, canola, oat and barley), with its eventual destination being that of a massive blend cobbled together by local cooperatives. What would have been internationally recognised, multi-award winning wines, were simply processed to become thereabout average.

Yet, the Mullineuxs (the name refers to the "Watermill" in French, hence their logo of a millstone) knew of these parcels and through nothing more spectacular that "sensible winemaking" and of course followed by "lots of hardwork!", these Chenin's and Syrah's would become emblematic of not just Swartland, but even South Africa as an emerging quality wine region on the world stage. The ingredients were already there - vivid yet unique terroirs, great climate and old vines of character - and all the Mullineux had to do was treat the land as the treasure that it is where for decades it had been overlooked, and thus see to it that the land was expressed with utmost clarity by producing wines of purity. It sounds obvious in theory, but up till the 2000's, the well-discovered and well-understood historical regions of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Constantia were the primary focus for South African winemakers. Together with trailblazers such as Eben Sadie (The Sadie Family) and A.A. Badenhorst, the Mullineuxs would reveal the great yet disregarded potential that the Swartland held, producing wines that were not only of distinct character, but done so with startling finesse and polish. Today the Swartland is home to over 30 wineries, with parcels of vines increasingly difficult to get hands on, as the region has come to be a hotbed for innovation and boldness.

 

The Valley of Constantia by Edward Roworth (1940-1949).

A Quick History Of South African Winemaking

As with the historic wine regions that dotted the world's ancient seafaring trade routes, wines were made in the South African Cape for merchants who had stopped over sailing enroute from Europe to India in search of highly prized spices. The first vines (of Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Muscat and Pontac) were in fact planted in Cape Town in the 1650's (the first wines produced were dated to 2nd February, 1659) thanks to the Dutch, where the Dutch East India Company's surgeon Jan van Riebeeck had hoped the fruit-based beverage would ward off scurvy that was common on these long voyages. As wines had to last on these ships, it was therefore often made sweet and fortified, that was until refrigeration showed up in the 1940's which allowed for the making of still (dry) wines.

By the 1680's, fearing religious persecution that was fast taking root in France, the French Huguenots (Reformed Protestants in France) would seek shelter elsewhere, and were thus quickly recruited by the Dutch East India Company to help boost agricultural production, specifically winegrowing, in South Africa, with the hopes of spurring the local economy. The Huguenots, having possessed an expertise in winegrowing, were thus brought over to the Cape of Good Hope where they were given land in the Franschhoek region, resulting in an acceleration in the development of local wine expertise in South Africa, leading to greatly increased quality of the wines produced. By the 18th Century, the coastal area of Constantia would put South Africa on the wine world map having become well-known for its sweet wines, which was such a big hit in Europe that even the famous Napoleon Bonaparte couldn't get enough of it (he apparently had a whole bottle to himself a day, requested it be brought to him in exile, and was even said to be his last request on his deathbed)!

 

Wine map of South Africa today.

 

Unfortunately, as with many wine regions around the world, South Africa too was not spared from the scourge of Phylloxera which destroyed many of its vineyards. In response, cooperatives were established to quickly re-establish the wine industry, which inadvertently led to the heavy use of industrial methods that saw massive replanting and overproduction, with quantity the priority rather than quality. That said, it was also during this period that South Africa would gain its own native varietal, the Pinotage, which was created in 1925 by Abraham Izak Perold, who had crossed Pinot Noir with Cinsault, and it was none other than Stellenbosch that would serve as the birthplace of Pinotage!

From the late 1940's through the early 1990's, South Africa would see apartheid rule, with major international sanctions (which severely restricted wine exports, with wines only to be distributed within the small domestic market) escalating up until the landmark 1994 elections which saw Nelson Mandela elected as the country's first Black president. This political liberation saw South Africa re-enter international trade, which in turn opened the country's wines for export once again, spurring winemakers to set their sights on winning over the global wine community which certainly meant the pursuit of serious quality. This saw South Africa quickly adopt new viticulture and winemaking technologies and techniques, with also the "flying" wine consultants who quickly landed to make their mark, bringing with them international varieties and also a new direction towards an internationalisation of wine styles, often favouring big and bold, fruit-driven wines. Finally, when the country's largest cooperative was re-organised as a private business, thereby dismantling decades of price-fixing based on quantity of grapes produced and sold, farmers could no longer expect their harvest to be purchased in whole, pushing them to now compete on quality instead. Nevertheless, as the country's winegrowing switched back on to full gear, focus would naturally first return to some of the Cape's most historic regions, with areas like the Swartland yet to be properly recognised up until the 2000's.

 

Chris and Andrea Mullineux.

The Mullineux Story, A Winemaking Romance Across Continents

Now getting to the Mullineuxs, husband and wife Chris and Andrea, both first-generation winemakers who today manage their Roundstone winery that sits at the southwestern base of the Kasteelberg mountain just between Malmesbury and Riebeek Kasteel, that is just over an hour's drive northeast from Cape Town - the pair had been apprenticing at various wineries before they would fatefully meet on a train ride to Champagne.

Andrea, a San Francisco, USA, native had studied viticulture and oenology at the highly esteemed UC Davis, where thereafter she had worked vintages in various Napa Valley wineries (Cakebread, Viader and El Molino), before venturing to South Africa on her own to intern at Waterford (thanks to a stunning sunset photograph of a South African winery set against coral pink mountains in a copy of Wine Spectator, which made Andrea compelled to visit), and subsequently Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which was where she would eventually cross paths with Chris.

 

The Swartland.

 

Chris on the other hand, born and raised in South Africa, had initially studied to be an accountant, and yet had found himself "19 and having a very early midlife crisis, wondering what on earth I was doing," which was when he had discovered wine and became deeply enthralled by how a single grape variety planted in one place could produce wines completely different compared to when it was planted someplace else. In a serendipitous moment, Chris would one day meet a stranger at a restaurant whilst having lunch, who would then share that he was studying winemaking. "It blew my mind that you could actually study this. I’d always thought it was a family thing, that parents taught their children, and it was handed down through generations. The fact that you could study this thing I was so obsessed with. I just knew what I was going to do for the rest of my life." Thankfully Chris was able to quickly switch courses to studying winemaking at Stellenbosch University, and would subsequently come to work harvests under living legends Eben Sadie (at the time helming Spice Route, and would later establish the famed The Sadie Family winery) and Adi Badenhorst (of A. A. Badenhorst fame), which was when he first began to fall in love with their wines made in Swartland.

As both Chris and Andrea went about their training harvests around the world, they would inevitably come to gain numerous mutual friends - one of whom being Callie Louw of the star winery Porseleinberg, who had worked with both Chris and Andrea on different occasions in both South Africa and California - and it was thus during their time both in France, with Chris at Bandol, and Andrea at Chateauneuf-du-Pape, where they would meet on that fateful train ride to Champagne, where they had bonded over a shared attraction towards winemaking with the same grape varieties and in similar climates. They would spend that harvest kindling their romance and when Chris was to eventually return to South Africa to continue his winemaking, Andrea would forgo her plans to make wines in New Zealand to join Chris, having herself already spent significant time in South Africa and was already drawn to the land.

 

 

"The secret is that we worked together before we started our winery, and we saw how well we worked together. We have very similar tastes in wine - we love wines with finesse, wines that have a true expression of site, wines with some power but also balance. If we liked different styles, it would be more difficult to work together. But we’ve always had a similar palate and a shared understanding of how to get there," says Chris.

 

As Chris began work at Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards (now Fable Wines), Andrea would first train in Hermanus with Kevin Grant (from the pioneering Hemel-en-Aarde winery Hamilton Russell), before eventually joining Chris at the winery he was at. It was during this time that the couple would begin to work with fruit from the Swartland, that was being used for the winery's second label, which allowed them to gain deep experience with the nature of Swartland's grapes and also knowing which farmers and parcels were of high quality. In 2007, having decided to get married and raise a family, and with the support from several backers, the Mullineuxs would take the leap of faith and establish their own winery. By this time, they knew without a doubt that it had to be in Swartland - they saw the opportunity sat right in front of them, and had the experience and expertise to make it a reality, all the whilst having already loved the wines the land could offer and were surrounded by great friends and mentors as neighbours.

 

 

Making Themselves At Home In The Swartland

The Swartland, or Het Zwarte Land in Afrikaans, can be translated as "the Black Land", and is so named after the commonly and widely growing indigenous Renosterbos plant which appears dark from afar. Expansive and agriculturally rich (historically a big farming region but not traditionally a wine region), the Swartland is approximately five times larger than Stellenbosch, and is characterised by three predominant types of soils - schist / shale, granite and iron / clay - which fill its vast open fields and rolling hills that is then only pierced by three prominent peaks, Paardeberg, Kasteelberg and Riebeekberg. The climate here is notably warmer and more arid, with increasingly greater dryness, which together with its well-drained soils and natural dry farming, allows for vines to dig deep for water, producing smaller, more concentrated fruit at lower yields.

"Being first-generation winemakers, we hadn’t come from a history of wine or a family legacy, but we knew we wanted to do our own thing. We chose to settle in what was, at that time, a very unknown region called the Swartland, a beautiful region with lots of old vines just north of Cape Town. It was dominated by huge cooperative wineries, but there were hundreds of growers who had planted vineyards and were delivering their grapes to the co-op. Some of the vineyards were average, but some of the sites were just incredible. These farmers had planted the right grape variety in the right place, and all that was happening was these amazing parcels were being delivered to the cooperatives, blended with some average sites, and making pretty average wine.

 

Old vine Chenin.

 

“I studied accounting before I studied winemaking. So while we had a very clear idea about which wines we wanted to make, we also had a very clear business plan. To start off with it didn’t involve buying land and building a cellar or spending a lot of money, because we didn’t have a lot of money to spend. We simply wanted to work with the best vineyards possible. In those days, in 2007, there weren’t a lot of people coming here and making wine from outside the Swartland. The region didn’t really have the reputation it does now. So we had our pick of the vineyards. We were able to identify the special sites and approach the growers: “Do you mind if we lease or purchase grapes from those really special parcels and make wines from them?” We got off to a flying start. It allowed us to get going without a lot of capital investment and start making amazing wines from the very first vintage. The rest is history," reflects Chris.

And thus starting scrappy, Chris and Andrea would hit the ground running doing everything it takes to keep a winery business up and moving themselves, before eventually settling on Chris taking care of the leased vineyards, whilst Andrea focused on the winemaking, with both of them working the harvests (today Andrea helms both the growing and winemaking, whilst Chris takes care of the business side of things). They would also simply rent space from fellow winery Reyneke to quickly get started, which would serve as their base for the first several vintages, before eventually establishing their own Roundstone winery. In the early years, the Mullineuxs would lease vineyards across a range of soils that showcased Swartland's diverse terroir, with fruit coming from over 20 parcels, with also a strong preference for old vines (by South African rules, this means at least 35 year old vines). First to make blends and traditional South African sweet wines (known as Straw Wine, as grapes were harvested as usual, yet allowed to raisinate on straw to concentrate its sugars), yet ultimately would form the basis of their Single Terroir series, where Chenin and Syrah grown across Schist, Granite and Iron (Clay) were bottled separately to demonstrate the unique influence of the soil's characteristics on these beloved varieties. Taking a deeply natural and minimally intervening approach and philosophy, their goal is to "make wines that have a sense of place".

 

 

"We identified the really special vineyards and I think one of the nice things of the Swartland is because it’s a farming community, the farmers also farm wheat and oats and olives and cattle, so they’re not necessarily dependent on just fruit or wine for their living. So some of them were happy to leave vineyards in the ground because their father or their grandfather had planted them, was kind of a sentimental thing. So at that time they wouldn’t necessarily be profitable on their own and we were able to come in and pay obviously the farmers a lot more for it and now they’re happy to keep them in the ground for sentimental reasons and for commercial reasons.

What happens over time is that when a grower wants to replant a vineyard, they go into their existing vineyard and identify the best vines - those that, no matter the weather, always produce beautifully balanced grapes. When replanting after 50 or 60 years, they take cuttings only from those special vines. That’s called a massal selection. You can imagine that after a few hundred years of doing this, you end up selecting Chenin Blanc genetic material that’s uniquely adapted to local conditions. So while they’re still genetically Chenin, Semillon, Cinsault, or Clairette Blanche, they’re now clones unique to South Africa, adapted to our dry weather and sunshine. The fruit they produce is so perfectly balanced that we don’t need to acidify or do bâtonnage in the winery. The vines themselves deliver intensity, uniqueness, character, and balance," explains Chris.

 

 

Chenin's (And Syrah's) That Only Swartland Can Produce

Through their deep experiences with winemaking in the warm and dry Swartland, they've found that Chenin's and Syrah's produced here demonstrate, unlike the Loire or the Rhone, a greater textural richness, which Chris describes as "having a natural texture to them... a nice mid palate that they’ve got a weight to them, whether it’s red or white, but it’s a balanced power. So it’s got freshness, it’s got acidity as well. So it’s always this balance of mid palate texture with freshness on it. That comes from the vineyards themselves. Not from picking riper fruit, not from sugar, not from new oak or bâtonnage. It comes from the old vines, the dry climate, the clones, producing small clusters and berries with lovely concentration. That’s the core of what the region is about. We always tell people here who don’t know South African Chenin, it’s like taking your favorite Loire Sauvignon Blanc with your favorite Chardonnay from Burgundy, blending them together. You get this nice creamy texture but with an incredible freshness and glint through of acidity and that’s, that’s what South African Chenin is about."

Dissecting the key soils, Chris explains that the slate soils (found on the Kasteelberg mountain) are shallow and rocky, creating a difficult environment for the vines, therefore producing smaller vines, clusters and bunches of fruit that carry great natural intensity. The granite soils (of the Paardeberg mountain) are "weathered to almost beach sand", are deep but less difficult for the vines, resulting in larger vines and roots, with more acidity and floral notes. And finally the clay and iron soils of the hills are incredibly rich, which presents wines that have alot of that characteristic mid-palate, and with more density. By sourcing fruit across these varied soils of Swartland, the Mullineuxs are able to create their cuvees with a wide and colourful palette. "For the white we blend several different varieties to get complexity, but for the red we blend in several different parcels from three soil types: decomposed granite, schist/shale and red clay." explains Andrea.

 

Andrea preparing to make Olerasay, Mullineux's Straw Wine.

 

And so starting with a White Blend, a Syrah and the sweet Straw Wine, the Mullineux would go on to quickly gain recognition for their work, with all of their wines (an incredible feat!) being graded the highest score of 5-Star at the highly esteemed Platter tasting that closely watches the South African wine trade - Mullineux Winery would go on to be named Platter's South African Wine Guide's Winery of the Year an unprecedented 5 times (2014, 2016, 2019, 2020 & 2023), with over fifty 5-Star ratings accumulated over the years! The pair would pick up numerous winemaking accolades themselves, taking home the title of Wine Enthusiast's 2016 International Winemaker of the Year, Tim Atkin's 2017 South African Winemakers of the Year and also the 2025 Golden Vines Awards' Best Rising Star, with Andrea invited to join the illustrious Cape Winemakers Guild, from which she has helped further winemaking innovation and social causes in South Africa.

 

(Standing, Left to Right): Chris Mullineux, Adi Badenhorst, Callie Louw. (Seated, Left to Right): Eben Sadie, Andrea Mullineux.

 

They would eventually expand their range to the entry-level and great value Kloof Street wines, along with the flagship Mullineux Signature Wines and Roundstone Wines, with finally the Single Terroir Wines that showcase Chenin's and Syrah's grown in different soils. The sterling work that Mullineux had done, alongside its fellow friends and Swartland pioneers the likes of Eben Sadie, Adi Badenhorst and Callie Louw, would begin to garner greater recognition for the region, yet high scores and ratings could only take them so far - they needed wine lovers to experience it for themselves and be convinced! And thus in 2010, the first Swartland Revolution Festival was organised, which successfully drew large crowds of not only wine drinkers but also winemakers too, many of whom were visiting Swartland for their first time. “The challenge at that time was to get people to come and taste the wines. We needed to get people out here to see how special the place is, so they could resonate with our wines. [The Festival] turned out to be a lot more successful in drawing people to the region that we could ever have expected!" says Andrea.

As the Swartland region began to draw increasing attention, with invariably more wineries emerging, acquiring fruit from local farmers would inevitably become more difficult, which ultimately motivated the Mullineuxs' move to finally acquiring their own vineyards - today 50% of their wines are estate fruit from vines in Riebeeksrivier, with the other half coming from some 30 various farmers across Swartland - which unlocked the ability to control how their fruit is farmed, whilst also being able to source blending components that create more complexity in their wines. Along the way, beyond the great care the Mullineuxs have taken to protect and enliven the soils and the environment they work with, they've also endeavoured to support greater social causes by going against the use of mechanisation to help create as many jobs as possible, with a particular effort made to create consistent, year-round jobs rather than to rely on seasonal labour, whilst also providing education and higher level vineyard training where they can beyond simple tasks like pruning.

 

The Leeu Passant Winery.

The Two Revolution Opportunity Of A Lifetime

By 2012, the Mullineuxs were presented with another major opportunity - the highly regarded Rosa Kruger, best known for her work with South Africa's old vines, had introduced the couple to Indian businessman Bhai Analjit Singh, who had been searching for ways to be more involved with South Africa. Singh, who came from a family of illustrious entrepreneurs (his father had founded Ranbaxy Laboratories, one of India's most successful pharmaceutical companies), had founded Max Group, a conglomerate that offered life insurance and healthcare services, had been convinced by his daughter to visit South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and upon doing so would fall in love with the country and its people. Having long aspired to be in the hospitality scene, Singh quickly laid down roots in Franschhoek, purchasing several farms from which he built country house retreats, boutique hotels and luxury villas, accompanied by a restaurant and microbrewery, which formed The Leeu Collection ("Leeu" to mean Lion in Afrikaans).

 

Analjit Singh with the Mullineuxs.

 

And so the Mullineuxs would join hands with Singh to form the new Mullineux & Leeu partnership that would see the creation of a new wine, Leeu Passant, its name taken to mean "Lion Passing" in Afrikaans (a reference to the Mullineuxs venturing beyond Swartland), which would be made in the winery at Singh's Franschhoek base. Having given the project much consideration, the Mullineuxs would conceive of a completely new concept which would sough to modernise South Africa's historic blends and varieties using old vines - where the Mullineux wines would continue to keep its singular focus on exploring and experimenting with the Swartland terroir, Leeu Passant would endeavour to cover Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Wellington.

 

Historic South African wines. (Image Source: Wine Anorak)

 

Completely not wanting to make yet another Bordeaux blend, nor recreating what was already done at Swartland, the Mullineuxs wanted to produce something that was meaningfully unique, and thus begin studying and drawing inspiration from South African wines made in the 1950's and 60's, which first led them down the path of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cinsault blends that were localised to South Africa, this time reinvented with old vine Cabernet Franc. Referencing historical winemaking, the Mullineuxs would learn that Cinsault berries carried more juice where Cabernet Sauvignon fruit grown in South Africa tended to be much smaller, and thus with the more rudimentary equipment of the past, one basket of Cinsault would be pressed together with three baskets of Cabernet Sauvignon so as to prevent the press from clogging, thereby creating the unique South African red blend. They would subsequently also learn of Chardonnay's deep lore in South Africa, along with discovering various parcels of incredibly old vines, such as a 125 year old parcel of Cinsault in Basson, Wellington, which ultimately extended the Leeu Passant range to including a single varietal Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Basson Cinsault, with then their interpretation of the historic South African dry red blend at its core.

 

The Leeu Collection in Franschhoek.

 

Today the Mullineux work two wineries, maintaining both their Mullineux wines that are made at the Roundstone Winery on the outskirts of Riebeeck Kasteel, Swartland, along with the Leeu Passant wines that are made in the namesake Leeu Passant Winery in Franschhoek, with also a small side project in California, USA, where they fly in each year during harvest and help with production for a skin-contact Chenin, as well as a Zinfandel and a field blend from the Bedrock Vineyard, under the Fog Monster brand that was established in 2012 (the brand was created when the Mullineuxs would regularly fly back to California to visit Andrea's family, during which they would visit local wineries and made friends along the way who invited them to bring their Chenin expertise over!).

 

Into The Mullineux Vineyards With Regenerative Farming

With about 110 hectares of land encompassing the Roundstone Farm, the Mullineuxs farm about one third of which, with then another 20 or so hectares that comes from a patchwork of various farmers covering some 30 parcels - most of their vines are therefore planted in Paardeberg's granite soils, with the rest from the slate dominant Kasteelberg - and whilst most of their fruit goes into the Mullineuxs wines, some do make their way to fellow icons Eben Sadie and Donovan Rall (of Rall Wines fame), with Chris saying "Eben introduced us to the vineyard, it's nice for us to be able to taste their wines [with some of the Mullineuxs' fruit] and see what they are doing with it!" Yet beyond where they farm, it's also just as important what and how they farm. "You can travel just 30 or 40 miles in South Africa and be in an entirely different wine region with a completely different terroir. It’s like going from Alsace to Bordeaux in 20 miles. One maritime, one continental. So in Stellenbosch, you can plant Syrah and Grenache, but you’ll do better with Cabernet, Chardonnay, and other varieties suited to that climate. South African winemakers have learned what works where, and we’re focused on planting the right grape in the right place rather than just what we think the market wants. We think it’s very simple in principle, but it’s a lot of work. It really just comes down to planting the right grape variety in the right place. I truly believe that if you do that, you solve a lot of potential problems because the vines will be in balance. You won’t need to irrigate heavily or do a lot of aggressive canopy management. They’ll grow in a beautiful, natural way. That approach allows us to farm more sustainably without chemical inputs or heavy intervention. We try to let the vineyard grow in harmony with its site," says Chris.

And so beyond their core focus on Chenin Blanc and Syrah, the Mullineuxs also farm other Mediterranean varieties such as Grenache Noir and Blanc Cinsault, Clairette, Carignan, Semillon Gris and Rousanne, with recent additions of Macabeo and Verdelho. They've also begun studying the possibility of new varieties (that enjoy the warmth and dryness of Swartland in other parts of the world) like the Greek Assyrtiko and Xinomavro, whilst also reopening the book on Grenache with new clones that are now available.

 

The Roundstone Farm.

  

Now the climate in the Swartland being of low rainfall paired with oceanic breezes from the Atlantic means that nature is on the side of winegrowers where it comes to diseases, with little pressures in that respect, allowing for easier minimal intervention farming. “Our approach to farming is to understand our terroir and figure out how we can best express that. This ranges from how we plant the vineyards, to making all of our own compost. We’re really just trying to farm as naturally and sustainably as we can. The idea is not necessarily to be accredited as a natural or organic winery, but to be able to make wines that taste like the vineyards from which it came. This is ultimately what gives it a sense of place. In comes down to farming sensibly and giving yourself the scope to create beautiful wines that actually taste like it comes from here.” says Chris. And so without confining themselves to rigid regimes that enshrine practices like "natural winemaking", the Mullineuxs prefer to define their viticulture as sensible farming that protects and enlivens the soils whilst also adapting to the local climate, with Chris stating that "we try to make our wines as naturally as possible, but they are not natural. We use this winemaking approach to make wines that have a sense of place."

Beyond simply avoiding the use of herbicides and insecticides, along with any other synthetic substances (they only use traditional Bordeaux mixtures of sulfur and. copper), the Mullineuxs employ a regenerative farming philosophy (their Roundstone Farm is in fact the first and only South African vineyard to be certified regenerative organic!) that involves playing to Swartland's long history of polyculture where various crops are planted alongside one another. Here the vineyards are planted tightly packed (which also means tractors can't get in and vineyard work has to be done entirely by hand!) and covered with mulch and cover crops that help to bring more organic matter and life to soils, whilst also keeping moisture in the dryness and also preventing erosion, which in turn helps the vines to naturally cope with climatic extremes of drought or heavy rains. Fertilizer too comes in the form of self-made compost that's enriched by the free-range cattle that live near the vineyards. The vines also co-exist with a diverse variety of other crops, where the Mullineuxs' vineyards are easily distinguishable from the green belts of indigenous fynbos plants that run through the vines, which helps to support protective insects and wildlife such as ladybirds and guinea fowl which help to naturally remove pests and weeds, without hurting the fruit. 

 

Green belts of fynbos planted between vines.

 

"I think that’s one of the special things with the Swartland especially is it’s not a monoculture of vines and it’s a very big region, but not with a lot of vineyards. We’ve got this amazing local plant kingdom called Fynbos, which grows on the mountains here. We literally went into the mountain, took cuttings of the Fynbos, got a nursery to route it for us. And then when we planted the vineyard, we planted these corridors, which break the vineyard up and it’s a home for wasps or ladybirds to live and feed on aphids or any insect pest. So there’s a lot of insects around, but there’s that natural balance that is still here and that helps us be able to farm again without using pesticides. So we’re lucky to have the space that we can do that.

In Australia, for instance, they have indigenous Eucalyptus trees, and it gives their wines a very distinctive flavour. Certain Fynbos species like wild rosemary and buchu are very aromatic and release these same compounds, called volatile phenols, that drift on the air, settling on the grapes and imparting its flavour. There was a lot of these species growing along the mountain already, but then we decided to plant a 20-hectare block, bringing some of it into the vineyards. In this way, our green belts add an extra level of character and complexity to our wines."

That all said, the Mullineuxs are realistic that with their practices and the local terroir and climate, yields will inevitably naturally remain low, which Chris says, "So we’re harvesting four to six tons of hectare, which is 25 to 30 hectoliters a hectare and that’s basically what we can ripen. We’re realistic that it’s always going to be a sort of a moderate crop, but it makes an incredible quality so that’s the give and take. We’re still figuring that out. We’ve only been going for 18 or 19 years, so we don’t have all the answers."

 

Winemaking At Mullineux

In the cellars, the philosophy matches that of the Mullineuxs' farming, that is, minimal intervention, simple yet sensible practices that emphasise the wines expressing their origin. "the philosophy we have in the vineyard and the winery is very similar so we just try to be sensible about it. The French have a great saying which translates to sort of reason farming," says Chris. The grapes are pressed directly into barrels for malolactic fermentation and maturation, where maceration is long and gentle, fermentation is entirely natural and without yeasts, enzymes or acids, and the wines are given generous ageing times, with all Mullineux wines aged in French oak, larger demi-muid barrels and foudres, with only a small percentage of new wood, so as to not mask the personality of the vineyard. Much care is taken to minimise disturbances to the wine whilst it ages, with punch-downs and racking done as sparingly and as infrequently as possible, with bottling done without filtering or clarifying (unless it's for long distance export where re-fermentation may affect consistency), and just a small bit of sulfur for stability. "We believe that if we have truly beautiful fruit, we can simply let it express itself. The aim is to make wine that has a true expression of our remarkable terroirs." says Andrea proudly.

Andrea goes on to say, “It’s very exciting to try new things all the time, but we prefer to work towards bettering quality in any way we can. Every year we zone in on one aspect of the process that we want to perfect. Our wines will never be 100% perfect, and that’s not something we strive for, because things can quickly become stagnant that way. Picasso said that the only thing worse than copying someone else is copying yourself. For us that is super important. So even though we are refining what we’re doing, we take care not to copy and paste just because something worked the previous year. We’re always pushing ourselves to learn more, understand better and express our terroir above all else."

 

 

The Making Of A Swartland Superstar

To that end, whilst it might feel like the Mullineuxs have been doing this for ages with the outsized impact they've made on South African winemaking, as well as the incredible worldwide reputation they've garnered for themselves, the reality is that through Swartland's ancient soils, old vines, sensible winemaking and a whole lot of effort, their singular focus on showcasing the land at its purest is what has made them the Swartland superstar as first-generation winemakers just under two decades in.

"South African wine is honestly one of the most exciting things happening in the wine world right now. We have this remarkable heritage of old-vine vineyards and incredible terroirs. Our region, the Swartland, was one of the places that kick-started a new confidence in being ourselves. When we make Chenin, we’re not trying to copy the Loire—we’re not trying to make Vouvray or Montlouis. When we make Syrah, we’re not trying to make Côte-Rôtie or Hermitage. We’re trying to make Swartland Syrah, Swartland Chenin. There’s a lot to discover. Just go and try proper, fine South African wine. It’s world-class, and it’s waiting for you."

 

Chris Mullineux at Praelum Bistro.

 

And so today, we were incredibly fortunate to catch Chris in Singapore for a masterclass showcasing a wide range of Mullineux's wines, from the starter Kloof Street range, to the Signature Wines, and then finally taking us through the Single Terroir Chenin Blanc's and Syrah's! This is of course all thanks to Wine To Share (Singapore) who is the importer for both Mullineux and Leeu Passant (Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines) - and who more than that, also carry an incredible and representative range of South Africa's most iconic and cult followed wines! If you're looking to discover South Africa's great wines, Wine To Share is where you should be on the hunt - they're super tasty, diverse and are massively bang for buck - if you can't be at South Africa's safari's, this is the next best thing!

Finally, just before we dive right into the wines, it's worth pointing out a couple of nuggets that Chris had mentioned during the masterclass - the first being that their goal is really to lean into their unique terroir instead of trying to mirror a more international or already well-known style, which they believe they've found with their wines that balance a roundness of texture alongside a freshness of the acidity, and at the same time they certainly don't want to be experimental for the sake of it, and therefore the Mullineuxs want to embrace creativity within the sandbox of what the hot and dry climate allows for, which is in fact a whole lot! This means that the starting canvas for Mullineux is to find what already works in similar climates - that is a Mediterranean climate - and from there they're happy to play around with varietals from Portugal's Douro, to the islands of Greece and all the way to the Rhone. There's plenty of room to be creative all whilst keeping a level head!

 

Chris humorously opened with saying "Andrea is the more technical person, so if it sounds like I'm talking nonsense, we can call Andrea up and ask her!" A really humble and passionate guy, who's also incredibly level-headed and detail-oriented!

  

When asked, Chris also mentioned that honestly they're incredibly happy already with where the wines are at, and that each year is really more a matter of fine tuning and creative problem solving - one example he gave was that birds often pecked at the fruit, leaving partially damaged fruit that would begin fermenting spontaneously, with Chris exclaiming, "you either eat the entire fruit or leave it alone!" With some observation, they had realised that what the birds were really after was the water in the fruit rather than the fruit itself, and thus the team would install water feeders outside of the vines, which sufficiently satiated the birds' thirst and stopped them from coming after the fruit! Last but not least, Chris had mentioned that when their teenage son had told them of how he'd like to join the winery full-time once he was done with schooling, both Chris and Andrea had instead told him that he shouldn't simply join the winery because it was what his parents had done, and that the only good reason to join the family winery is if he feels genuine passion in his heart for winemaking, that is, "you can only make good wines if you're passionate, otherwise go do something else!" This certainly left me chuckling, whilst also leaving a strong impression on me.

Now, let's get to it!

Wine Review: Mullineux Kloof Street Old Vine Chenin Blanc

100% Chenin Blanc

Made with Chenin Blanc from sustainably farmed, over 45 year old dry land bush vine Chenin vineyard parcels grown in decomposed granite soils at Paardeberg. The fruit is first chilled and then pressed whole bunch, with the juice allowed to settle overnight. The juice is then racked to 85% tank and 15% older French oak barrels for fermentation, which takes place with indigenous yeasts and for up to 6 weeks. The barrels are then racked and blended with the tank fermented parcel, which is then bottled. 

This is the 2023 vintage.

 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Straw

Aroma: Really fragrant, supple and rich, whilst at the same time lifted. Gooseberry paste, mangosteens, with a touch of pineapple. It's lightly musky, with a creaminess and doughiness to it, and just a current of minerality underlying it.

Taste: Medium-bodied, super plush and supple with a really lovely richness, yet at the same time without heaviness. It's really creamy, giving musky tropical fruits and the tartness and savouriness of stone fruit, with gooseberries and peach fuzz, sprinkled in with dried rosemary and fennel, and also lime leaves. There's also a fragrant, waxy character of beeswax and agarwood, garnished by bouquets of elderflower. Fresh, with softened acidity.

Finish: Persistent creaminess, with peaches, gooseberries and pineapples. It's plush, firm and seamless through the clean finish, with a lingering savouriness of peach fuzz.

My Thoughts

 Powerfully aromatic, it's fresh and with a great richness to it that makes it both refreshing and texturally really satisfying! It's fruity yet without overdoing it, rounded out by that plush, creamy body, that features this exotic, oriental fragrance of beeswax, agarwood and elderflowers. Not the first thing you'd think about - the first thing I thought about was just how lovely its aromas and textures were, with full fruity flavours, and a nice clean finish - but it's understatedly really complex with a herbaceous and also malic savouriness to its body, lifted by that fresh yet softened acidity. Altogether a really complete and satisfying white that's flavour forward, balanced and great sensorially.

Wine Review: Mullineux Old Vines White

70% Chenin Blanc, 11% Clairette Blanche, 8% Viognier, 6% Grenache Blanc, 5% Semillon Gris

The Mullineux Old Vines White comes from Mullineuxs most mature, sustainably farmed white grape vineyards that are planted in the decomposed granite soils of Paardeberg. Each component variety is grown an average of 400 meters in altitude, with vines as old as 70 years of age. The fruit is hand harvested, with the fruit typically small with low juice-to-berry ratios as a consequence of their age, yet at the same time able to therefore articulate the individual vineyard identity. Grapes are pressed whole bunch whilst still cool, giving it some gentle oxidative stabilising as it settles overnight. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts extends over as long as 10 weeks, with natural malolactic fermentation. The wine is then aged on the lees in used French oak barrels and foudres for 10 months before being bottled just before the next year's harvest.

This is the 2023 vintage.

  

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Straw

Aroma: Super aromatic but also really precise and with great definition! Bold aromatics of peaches, pineapples and gooseberries, it's more firm, with also a flintiness. Cusped by that rich doughiness, it's altogether more concentrated with an incredibly vibrant bouquet.

Taste: Medium-bodied, this comes through immediately more precise and with an elevated freshness, the body concentrated with peaches, pineapples, and gooseberries. It's still got that creaminess, here even a touch candied with some honey. It remains firm, with the acidity bright and fresh yet gentle.

Finish: More candied here, giving peach and pineapple lollies, with also some lime leaves. Creamy, plush and rich finish.

My Thoughts

Instantly more striking, vibrant and also concentrated, with more well defined tropical and stone fruits that are incredibly expressive and with an elevated freshness. It feels more compact and svelte, yet still retains that richness that comes through in the form of doughiness and into the finish features a brighter, candied quality. On the whole more energetic and linear, it is delivered with this elegantly fresh acidity, with a body that holds its own.

Wine Review: Mullineux Granite Chenin Blanc

100% Chenin Blanc

This comes from a 47 year old parcel of sustainably and dry farmed bush vines that's planted in Paardeberg's decomposed granite soils, in particular Mullineux's highest altitude granite soil vineyard on Paardeberg, which is said to help the wine age linearly as a result of the deepest root formation, which also presents the fullest and coolest vineyard canopy of all of Mullineux's vineyard sites. It's naturally fermented in French oak barrels and then left in the barrels on the lees for 10 months, during which malolactic fermentation is completed. The barrels are then racked, blended and bottled without filtering just before the next year's season.

This is the 2023 vintage.

 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Light Straw

Aroma: More candied with a tidbit of doughiness, it strikes a more gentle yet firm bouquet, broadly softer, although still expressing distinct scents of peaches and pineapples. Subtle yet elegant, with a supple lightness.

Taste: Much, much richer here, medium-bodied, more body than its aromas convey, in fact it's super luscious on the palate and without heaviness. Lots of candied maltose, dough, with then a savouriness of peach pits, peach fuzz and pineapple paste, with a greener garnish of lime leaves. The acidity is bright and soft, with its textures almost syrupy.

Finish: Peach fuzz savouriness, here more honeyed on top of that doughiness. It's rich and lush through a firm, seamless finish. Lingering savouriness.

My Thoughts

Very distinct character that feels really singular and at the same time really well defined - a much softer and subtler aroma, with then a conversely much richer and almost lusciously syrupy body that works towards a decidedly firm finish. Of course, given that this is essentially a component wine of the flagship Mullineux range, it is par for the course that the single terroir wines show a more raw and unpadded version. And so here we find a nose that is more delicate, although through that supple, lifted quality, those tropical and stone fruits can still be found, it is nevertheless on the palate where things start to get serious! The body is so gloriously lush and with that bright acidity (the Granite soils being more challenging for the vines, should lead to more acidity) combines to give it such an airiness, that it almost feels rich yet voluminous. It's candied fruits galore, with the perfect touch of leafiness and peach fuzz savouriness, that feels so rustic yet divine! Simply outstanding!

Wine Review: Mullineux Iron Chenin Blanc

100% Chenin Blanc

Harvested from the clay and iron rich soils of Koffieklip, where the vineyard sits on the rolling hills just outside of Malmesbury, the Chenin Blanc fruit from here is always the first to ripen out of all the other single terroir Chenin's, and at the same time also sees the highest natural extract which is what is said to contribute to greater upfront aromatics and a lower sugar-to-alcohol conversion, with more focused acidity. Just before harvest, the deep clay soils will retain water and inhibit excess moisture uptake to the fruit, which serves to concentrate it. For this, the fruit undergoes both primary and secondary fermentations spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, where it's then matured for 11 months in French oak barrels.

This is the 2023 vintage.

  

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Straw

Aroma: Lots of floury dough, with a thicker clay like quality. Soft perfume of white jasmine florals, with light scents of peaches. It's fresh and supple with big and concentrated leesy aromas.

Taste: Medium-bodied, still really fresh and concentrated, with here the peaches and pineapples coming through much more boldly. It's creamy yet firm, with a core of candied maltose, garnished with lime leaves, and peach fuzz savouriness. Some floury doughiness still, with the acidity bright yet soft and pillowy.

Finish: More concentrated core of peaches and pineapples, with a lighter envelope of doughiness. It's rich and firm through the finish with a light leafy, herbaceous savouriness that lingers on.

My Thoughts

This ones all too elegant and sensual with a decidedly thicker and firmer style of voluminous pillowiness. It's that much richer and more concentrated, yet still very much lifted, with that doughiness really padding it from nose to palate, serving as this plumper canvas from which the bolder peach and pineapple fruits jumps forth from. The acidity is softer here, more massaged in, even as it remains bright. A really generous white that is then given smaller inflections of complexity with the savouriness only peeking through along the way. This is such a textural delight!

Wine Review: Mullineux Kloof Street Swartland Rouge

75% Syrah, 15% CInsault, 8% Tinta Barocca, 2% Grenache  

The fruit here comes from 6 sustainably farmed vineyard parcels from across Swartland, with ages ranging from 9-50 years old - 2 parcels of Syrah, 1 parcel of Cinsault and 1 parcel of Grenache are from the stony shale and schist soils of the Mullineuxs' own Roundstone Farm at Kasteelberg, with the Tinta Barocca and another parcel of Syrah from Paardeberg's decomposed granite soils. The fruit is hand harvested, cooled and then pressed with 60% whole bunches destemmed to tank. It's given a once a day punch down at first, and once indigenous yeast fermentation kicks off, its then punched down twice daily, all under temperature control, with maceration going on for just under 4 weeks. The wine is then drained and pressed to barrel for malolactic fermentation, with the different parcels racked and the blend put together for an 11 month maturation in barrels, demi-muids and larger upright wooden vats.

This is the 2021 vintage.

 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Ruby

Aroma: Wow! A powerfully vibrant bouquet of raspberries and dark cherry preserves and coulis, it's padded with some confectionary vanillic tones that just bursts forth. The fruit and cream integrates really cohesively, offering a spectrum from sensual dark red fruits all the way to brighter berry frosting. It's supple, cusped by a light touch of concrete.

Taste: Super fresh and elegant, all these red fruits of raspberries and dark cherries come through plush and supple, with bright yet lifted acidity. Some blackberries at the back, with the tannins fine and silky. There's a slightly peppery and green stemmy quality that adds to its complexity, along with a side of olive tapenade. The fruits are firm and rich, with then this savoury greenness at the back of olives and dried herbs.

Finish: More on red cherries, raspberries and blackberries. Super silky and fresh, sprinkled in with the same dried herbs and olives. The fruit is well saturated and paired evocatively with that herbaceous savouriness. Seamless finish, tannins polished and fine, with a touch of clay that comes through after.

My Thoughts

This was remarkably enjoyable, with a powerfully expressive aroma, filled in with all these delicious dark red fruits that's rounded out with some more confectionary vanillic tones, and the delicate and svelte body then ushering in that same bounty of red fruits galore, though this time paired with a more savoury herbaceousness that gives it a more rustic and wild touch. What particularly impresses is how this isn't one of those big heavy wines, yet at the same time it's perfectly well saturated. The fruit is incredibly expressive without overt ripeness or heaviness, super fresh acidity, with the tannins silky and fine. What an excellent everyday drinker that's incredibly charismatic and alluring, with a body that holds its own, and is at the same time fresh, satiny and elegant that you simply can't tire of it! 

Wine Review: Mullineux Syrah

100% Syrah

From six sustainably farmed vineyards - three from stony, Schist soils of Kasteelberg, two from dry land bush vines int he decomposed Granite of Paardeberg, and one from the Iron rich soils west of Malmesbury. The fruit is hand-harvested in the early mornings, then crushed 90% whole cluster, which undergoes gentle extraction and indigenous fermentation for four weeks. The wine is then pressed into French oak barrels for 11 months of ageing, where after it's racked and the various parcels blended, after which it's aged for another 10 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

This is the 2021 vintage.

 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark Ruby

Aroma: Deep tones of raspberry and dark cherry preserves and paste, glided by more confectionary vanilla, with then a meatiness of bresaola, along with more earthiness and spices of tobacco, licorice, angelica root, and olive tapenade. It's rustic, really fresh and rich, with a delicate elegance. It's enveloped by wafts of rose petals and dried rosemary.

Taste: Medium-bodied, really perfectly saturated once again, full on dark red fruits yet delicate and without heaviness. Dark cherries and raspberries, leather, black olives, it's juicy plush, with a satisfying mouth filling richness yet at the same time that acidity is bright, softened and uber fresh. Tannins here are silky and satiny, with then a side of that savoury earthiness of licorice and sarsaparilla root.

Finish: The same mix of red fruit and earthy spiced savouriness, with here some darker fruits of prunes and plums. It's seamless and satiny right through the clean and fresh finish, ending on a dry and lightly grainy note.

My Thoughts

This packs in that much more complexity with added dimensions of meatiness and earthy roots and spices that gives it this really beautiful rawness, all whilst so perfectly saturated and lifted in its fresh elegance. I really love how the various flavours sit so comfortably with one another, superb integration, completely seamless, with the acidity so fresh and the tannins completely polished. It's full flavoured and rich yet near weightless, which boggles the mind really. It's incredibly drinkable in that regard that again as we've seen with Mullineux's wines, you just can't get weighed down on. This in particular would pair really well with some grilled meats, with its spices and savouriness filling in the dish to make a complete meal.

Wine Review: Mullineux Granite Syrah

100% Syrah

Made with Syrah from the decomposed Granite soils of Paardeberg, whose soils are challenging and encourage deep root systems that result in great concentration in the fruit. The fruit is hand harvested in the cool early mornings, where it is then put into French oak open top fermenters whole bunched, where it is crushed by foot, allowing for the indigenous fermentation to begin. Extraction is gentle, with punch downs by hand, with the wine given 4 weeks of skin contact before being gravitationally drained and pressed back into the same French oak barrels (50% new) for malolactic fermentation and a 12 month maturation, with another 9 months in foudre. Once bottled it's aged for another 8 months before release.

This is the 2021 vintage.

 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Ruby

Aroma: Deep, darker bouquet of dark cherries and plums, that's immediately accompanied by an earthy savouriness of licorice and black olives, with also a vibrant floral perfume of lavender. Undertones of vanillic creaminess, with also a dash of dried rosemary, it leans darker, more rustic and richer, yet remains well lifted.

Taste: Medium-bodied, it's distinctly more concentrated with a silky sensuality to it. The dark cherries and blackberries are well saturated, joined by those savoury black olives and rosemary. It's refreshing with really structured and firm tannins, yet impressively polished with elegance and finesse.

Finish: Dark cherries, raspberries, blackberries persist on, with also black licorice, rosemary and tones of vanilla. The acidity remains gleaming and fresh, with the tannins firm and alittle more grainy here.

My Thoughts

The Granite Syrah feels almost colossal with its chiselled structure, it's more brooding and intriguing, really concentrated and broad, taking you into the depths of its sensual dark red fruits that is as lush as it is fresh and stylishly polished. It's got such a depth that you just fall into its endless vortex, the tannins firm and velvety, its textures lifted and shimmery with such elegance and finesse. It feels markedly richer, still really plush, but certainly much, much more concentrated and ample. It's a bigger wine for sure, trading off some variety of its flavour palette for a deeper and bolder development of the juicy fruits and savoury herbs, yet thoroughly compelling. Steak dinner wine for sure, that is if you can get your hands on it!

Wine Review: Mullineux Schist Syrah

100% Syrah

This comes from the Schist soil vineyards on the slopes of Kasteelberg at the Roundstone estate, which is said to give more concentration to the fruit and tannin to the wine as a result of the rocky terrain limiting vine vigour that then creates smaller clusters and more skin-to-juice ratio. The fruit is 100% whole bunch foot crushed into French oak barrels. Indigenous fermentation with only hand plunging for gentle extraction. After 4 weeks of fermentation, it is then racked and pressed back into the same open top barrels. The wine is aged for 12 months in 50% new and 50% used French oak barrels, with then another 9 months in foudre before being bottled unfiltered.

This is the 2021 vintage.

 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark Ruby

Aroma: Opens with a stony air of slate and concrete, with then darker, herbal tones of cough syrup and black sugar, with also a eucalyptus leafiness and also clove spices. Dark cherries, blackberries and raspberries still come through although much softer here. It's a touch chocolate-y, with also roasted coffee that lightly layers the fruit.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, plush and velvety, with more dark fruits showing, of blackberries and prunes that join the dark cherries and raspberry fruit paste. That herbal cough syrup comes through as well, with a slight meatiness of jerky and an earthiness of forest floors. It's rich, with the acidity bright, and the tannins firm and velvety, leaning riper.

Finish: More earthy, herbal and darker toned still, with licorice, black sugar, cough syrup, eucalyptus leaves, as well as plums, prunes and dark cherries. It's rich and seamless through the finish, clean, with the tannins mostly resolved with a touch of grainy grip.

My Thoughts

Coming through riper and more herbal, this feels more lush and expressive, with more flavour complexity to be had. It shows a very interesting minerality, yet at the same time leans towards darker fruits, that's then accompanied by a thread of meatiness and earthiness, with also a herbal quality that's candied yet earthy. The fruits are more cooked down, yet still showing bright acidity and velvety, plush tannins. It's luscious on the palate, with a really compelling herbal woodiness that reveals itself on the finish, giving it a balanced medicinal edge. This feels really luxurious and polished, with a sense of refinement and opulence. 

Wine Review: Mullineux Iron Syrah

100% Syrah

Grown on the iron rich clay soils of the rolling red hills surrounding Malmesbury, the Syrah here comes from an organic vineyard that also features gravel rich Koffieklip soils that are known for holding water just before harvest resulting in a generous early growth of the fruit, with then a natural concentration leading into its picking. As a result, the Syrah fruit from this vineyard is the smallest of all the fruit the Mullineuxs work with, and also comes with a lush canopy that makes for medium-thick skins of the berries that together is said to create a wine that is rounder and more complex, with more depth. Given the incredibly small yield (and even smaller volume of juice), the Iron Syrah is produced in the smallest quantity of the Single Terroir Syrah's.

Upon harvest, the fruit is foot stomped as 100% whole clusters into open top French oak barrels where hand punch-downs are done to encourage natural and gentle extraction, with the fermentation carried out with indigenous yeasts for 4 weeks of maceration. The wines are then racked and pressed into the same French oak barrels (50% new) for 12 months of ageing, with then another 10 months in foudre, and lastly 8 months of aging in bottle before release. 

This is the 2021 vintage.

 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Ruby

Aroma: Definitely more inky and rich, with herbal black sugar, along with dark cherries, raspberries and also a perfumed floral tone of rose petals. It has a powderiness about it that combined sensually with the rose petals. Incredibly powerful floral fragrance.

Taste: Medium-bodied, the most rich and plush of all, also riper and with more concentration. Dark cherries, raspberries, with abit of a stemmy greenness with some pepperiness, it's alittle more hefty, with also black licorice and black sugar, bringing those woody earthy touches with also some herbal tones. It's really supple and luscious on the palate, with the acidity bright and the tannins velvety. 

Finish: More perfumed rose petals that hovers over the red and black fruits of raspberries, plums, prunes and dark cherries, with also more earthiness and herbal notes in the form of black licorice and drops of cough syrup. The tannins remain silky, with the body luscious through the finish.

My Thoughts

This is definitely the richest and most plush of the lot, it almost coats the palate in a velvety robe, offering this sense of majestic beauty with that bright and sparkling acidity, and the tannins completely generous and giving. And as breathtaking as that all is, there's more by way of complexity, with this intensely intoxicating perfume of sensual rose petals, along with this really perfectly pitched stemmy pepperiness that's also undergirded by an earthy black sugar herbal quality. It's all encompassing and just bewildering to the senses from all angles! It's decadent but also compelling, an absolutely phenomenal Syrah!

  

Kanpai!

 

@111hotpot