Mullineux & Leeu, Syrah
Swartland, South Africa 2016 (750mL)
Regular price$36.00
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Mullineux & Leeu, Syrah
If titles like “Winery of the Year” and “Winemaker of the Year” are dropped during a discussion about Syrah, one would automatically assume it belongs to a generations-deep, globally revered producer in Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, or Cornas. Normally, you’d be right, but in today’s case, you’re way off base—by several thousand miles. Down in South Africa, Mullineux has taken the world by storm with their naturally pure, terroir-focused expressions of Syrah.
In just 12 years’ time, they’ve risen through the ranks and amassed accolades and critical acclaim that has elevated Swartland’s exciting wine frontier to never-before-seen levels. Mullineux has one single message and it appears to be aimed directly at the legends of Northern Rhône: “Look out, here we come.” Burgeoning regions like Swartland and trendsetting producers like Mullineux keep this industry fervently buzzing. But, ultimately, it comes down to you, and that’s why we were beyond thrilled to see our inbox light up with your glowing feedback over the past 15 months. I urge you not to miss out on Mullineux’s newest vintage. It’s a breathtaking, impressively age-worthy wine (10+ years) that so vividly illustrates the unique qualities of world-class Syrah.
In just 12 years’ time, they’ve risen through the ranks and amassed accolades and critical acclaim that has elevated Swartland’s exciting wine frontier to never-before-seen levels. Mullineux has one single message and it appears to be aimed directly at the legends of Northern Rhône: “Look out, here we come.” Burgeoning regions like Swartland and trendsetting producers like Mullineux keep this industry fervently buzzing. But, ultimately, it comes down to you, and that’s why we were beyond thrilled to see our inbox light up with your glowing feedback over the past 15 months. I urge you not to miss out on Mullineux’s newest vintage. It’s a breathtaking, impressively age-worthy wine (10+ years) that so vividly illustrates the unique qualities of world-class Syrah.
Mullineux has been on my radar for many years now. In 2011, I deviated from my traveling wine group in South Africa and began a week of solo exploration: I drove a second-rate stick shift bakkie (driving on the right side of the car, I might add) away from Cape Town and into the hillsides of Swartland, where I stumbled upon the town of Riebeek-Kasteel and, subsequently, Mullineaux’s wines. At the time, this was only their fourth year of operation, but I was stunned with the high quality of their small-batch wines. One of the greatest misfortunes that plagues South African wine is the generalized response that usually pops up in conversation: “Pinotage? Blegh!” While I’ve certainly had some beautiful takes on this Pinot Noir/Cinsault crossing, there is a world of colorful producers and terroirs down here (like Mullineux in Swartland) that are clean, vibrant, and on par with the best wines on earth. Accordingly, the region’s dramatic transformation from bulk wine to serious, terroir-driven, handcrafted gems have put famous critics and wine writers in an excited state of shock.
Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines came into existence in 2007 and has been operated by a husband-wife team, Chris and Andrea Mullineux, since day one. They were both trained in wine—Chris, at the University of Stellenbosch and Andrea at UC Davis—and after several years of separate wine travels across the world, they met each other in Champagne. They eventually tied the knot and their joint passions pushed them to open a small winery in South Africa (Chris’ home country). They chose Swartland due to its unique soils and elevated vineyards; for them, it just “felt right.” As for the future, it’s bright and mutual between Chris and Andrea: “Our goal is to keep grounded and happy and to slowly learn...so we consistently bottle balanced wines with a sense of place.”
Their decades-old, bush vine Syrah is sourced from seven small vineyard sites around Swartland in soils ranging from schist, granite, shale, and iron. All grapes were picked by hand—with each parcel kept separate—and quickly shuttled to their nearby winery in Riebeek-Kasteel, where a whole-bunch fermentation took place. A twice-daily ‘punch-down’ regimen throughout an all-natural fermentation was employed, followed by an extended maceration (three to seven weeks!) before being transferred into parcel-designated French oak barrels, 15% new, of various sizes. After briefly aging, the parcels were blended together and sent back into barrel for a total time of 14 months. The final wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Mullineux’s 2016 pours a deep purple-ruby in the glass and erupts with highly explosive notes of just-picked purple and red flowers, dark fruit, olive, and crushed earth. This current vintage, though, is darker, denser, and has a brooding side that will result in an even greater drinking experience as the years pass by. Personally, I would love for someone to hold back a few bottles and see how this is showing on its 10th or 15th birthday because I think a mature bottle has the potential to stun. In the meantime, however, decant it for at least 30 minutes and slow-drink it over several hours. It’s a beautiful red that perfectly captures the allure of Syrah: olive tapenade, smoked meat, leather, crushed stones, iron, black cherry, black raspberry, and a hint of huckleberry. The palate is lush and poised with mouthwatering acidity and ultra-smooth tannins that finish with a smattering of pulverized minerals, savory herbs, and brambly fruit. Enjoy in Burgundy stems around 60 degrees and marvel at this upcoming South African superstar—the world will know Mullineux!
