I was first introduced to Mullineux back in college. Christopher Waters, now the wine writer for the Globe & Mail, poured their 2008 Swartland Syrah in a class on South African wines. It was maybe the first time that I left the classroom and immediately went to the LCBO. That bottle was everything that I've come to appreciate in their wines: transparent, elegant, and pure. And somehow only $32 at the time.
Mullineux has since become one of the most celebrated wineries in South Africa, and their Kloof Street label makes a great entry point. Part of their success is owed to Andrea Mullineux, winemaker and partner. She's widely regarded as one of the world's top winemakers and has the accolades to prove it. But another key is their uncanny ability to find overlooked parcels of old vines.
That's what took them to Swartland in the first place. Low-yielding old bush vines, often dry-farmed, that still had a story to tell. This Chenin Blanc comes from three vineyards that are 38 to 40+ years old on a combination of shale, shist, and granite soils. Otherwise, the only winemaking addition is a tiny amount of sulphur dioxide. Transparent, indeed.
-GM
Tasting Note
Chenin Blanc is South Africa's so-called signature white variety, and stylistically it can be quite varied. Sometimes it's ripe and tropical, with heavy-handed oak. And then you have this, a pure expression of both grape and place. The fruit is precise and detailed, showing quince and honeyed white peach, along with savoury spices, delicate orchard blossoms, and a stony minerality. It's amazing how this evolves and unfurls in the glass, showing tremendous poise and depth, with a vervy energy that continually pulls you back in.
Food Pairing
Crab ravioli or lemon-roasted chicken