Mullineux Schist 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.

Mullineux’s schist-based soils are situated on their home vineyard of Roundstone, on the Kasteelberg Mountain. Akin to Côte Rôtie and Priorat, the soils are rocky and well-drained. These friable brown slate soils produce vines with smaller and more open canopies, naturally small bunches and thick-skinned berries. The fruit profile tends to be darker than granite-based wines with a balance of black plum fruit and spicy aromatics. The most structured Syrah in the Mullineux Single Terroir range.

The 2018 Schist Syrah has layered aromas of black cherry, pepper spice and a complex, herbal quality. On the palate, it has a tightly wound core with structured tannins, tempered by velvety mouthfeel and vibrant plum perfume.