2023 Mullineux, Old Vines White, Swartland, South Africa
Critics reviews
The 2023 White Old Vines is based on 70-year-old Grenache Blanc vines that lend the wine more texture and density. Fermented mainly in 2,000-litre foudres it was oxidatively handled in the press, encouraged (though not forced) through malo and raised on the lees. This has a complex nose: fresh pear, grilled walnut and light smoky scents gaining delineation in the glass. The palate is well-balanced with a nuanced opening. Hints of mango mix with light citric notes, a keen line of acidity and a lively, peppery finish. Excellent.
Drink 2024 - 2036
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (September 2024)
62% Chenin Blanc, 13% Clairette Blanche, 10% Sémillon Gris, 8% Grenache Blanc, 5% Viognier and 2% Verdelho.
Lovely nose of blanched almonds, lemons, chamomile and sliced pears. Crushed stones and seashells, too. It’s mineral and very textural, full-bodied, with an almost chalky texture.
Drink now or hold
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (October 2024)
Parcels on granite, schist, iron and quartz contribute to this old-vine cuvée of Chenin Blanc, 13% Clairette, 10% Semillon Gris, 8% Grenache Blanc, 5% Viognier and 2% Verdelho. Exotic yet well balanced, it has a medley of citrus and stone fruit flavours, stylish wood and enough acidity and minerality to lift and freshen the finish.
Drink 2025 - 2029
Tim Atkin MW, South Africa 2024 Special Report
About this WINE
Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines
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.
Swartland
After Stellenbosch, the west coast district of Swartland (25 miles due north of Cape Town, between the towns of Malmesbury and Piketberg) now ranks as the Cape's most exciting wine-producing district.
Settled initially by nomadic Khoikhoi from Namibia, the Dutch brought trade and vines to the region in the 17th century. Viticulture was developed only more recently.This contrasts with an ancient geology which has brought a mix of shale, arenite sandstone and granite soils air-conditioned by the Atlantic Ocean nearby.
Chenin Blanc and Shiraz seem to do best, as exemplified by the wines of Eben Sadie and Mullineux.
Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc is an important white grape variety planted in the Anjou-Saumur and Touraine regions of the Loire Valley and the most widely planted varietal grape in South Africa.
In the Loire it produces high quality dry wines in Savenniéres, and luscious sweet, dessert wines in Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume. In Vouvray and Montlouis it can be dry, medium dry, or sweet, and still or sparkling. Whether dry or sweet, the best Loire Chenin Blancs possess marvellously concentrated rich, honeyed fruit together with refreshingly vibrant acidity. It is Chenin Blanc's high acidity that enable the wines to age so well.
In South Africa Chenin Blanc is easier to grow and is prized for its versatility. It is used as a cheap blending option with Chardonnay, Colombard, and Muscat but also bottled unblended. The best producers keep their yields low and produce impressive mouthfilling wines.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
The 2023 White Old Vines is based on 70-year-old Grenache Blanc vines that lend the wine more texture and density. Fermented mainly in 2,000-litre foudres it was oxidatively handled in the press, encouraged (though not forced) through malo and raised on the lees. This has a complex nose: fresh pear, grilled walnut and light smoky scents gaining delineation in the glass. The palate is well-balanced with a nuanced opening. Hints of mango mix with light citric notes, a keen line of acidity and a lively, peppery finish. Excellent.
Drink 2024 - 2036
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (September 2024)
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