Mullineux Iron Syrah Swartland 2018

Description

Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines is one of the stand-out producers in South Africa's budding Swartland region. Winemakers Chris and Andrea Mullineux’s ambition is to bottle wines that are a true expression of the Swartland, and all steps of their winemaking process are taken with this in mind. They work closely with a select group of growers who follow sustainable, reasoned farming practices, as well as owning vineyards at their Roundstone Farm in Riebeeksrivier.

In the cellar, apart from minimal amounts of sulphur, nothing is added to or removed from the wine. They do not make use of any yeasts, acids, tannins, enzymes, or fining and filtering agents. “Leeu” (Afrikaans for “lion”) was added to the name recently to recognise the contribution of a new investor to the project.

Apart from their wonderful Syrah, Chenin Blanc-based white blend and a super-rich Straw Wine made from air-dried Chenin Blanc, fermented and matured in old barriques, Mullineux now has a range of spectacular single-terroir Syrah and Chenin Blanc wines, each of which illustrates the amazing potential of the differing Swartland soils. Volumes of the single-vineyard wines are tiny, so availability is extremely limited.

Red clay and iron-rich soils are based north and west of Malmesbury. Due to the fast-draining nature of these soils, vines often struggle to grow, and yields are even lower, producing the smallest berries of the three soils. However, this is balanced by the clay’s water retention capacity, which protects the vines from water stress towards the end of summer. These wines are deeper in colour, concentrated with the most structured tannins and fullest body. Just 2682 bottles of Iron Syrah were produced in 2018. It displays dark fruit on the nose, coupled with a complex meatiness. There is definite weight on the palate, with firm tannins and a brooding intensity. Sourced from a single parcel of organically farmed dry land bush vines on rolling iron-rich soils.