The Mullineux Old Vines White is the only white blend in the Mullineux Wines portfolio – they are mostly known for their terroir-specific Chenin Blanc and Syrah wines, as well as their straw wine and Olerasy. It is quite a complex blend, composed out of Chenin Blanc, Sémillon, Clairette Blanche, Grenache Blanc, Viognier and Verdelho. This blend brings together the best of these French, Spanish and Portuguese varieties that are planted in the Swartland – an area best-known for exceptional Chenin Blancs. Chris and Andrea Mullineux are also very specific when it comes to terroir expression, so it is no surprise that these grapes were sourced from different parcels in the Swartland: the shale and schist soils of Kasteelberg, decomposed granite of Paardeberg and the iron-rich soils of Malmesbury.
In the glass, this wine has a pale straw to light-yellow colour with a green hue. On the nose, it presents lovely complex notes of citrus, dry spices and stone fruit. It has an extremely fresh entry of lemon, green pears, apricots, peaches and hint of green mango skin. It has an elegant mouthfeel that develops slowly with more complex notes of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom against fresh almonds. It has a long finish with a stone minerality. This is the type of wine that makes you urge for another sip – it is a really brilliant wine.
This is a diverse wine that can be enjoyed on its own or as a great food pairing. My personal preference would be to enjoy this wine on its own or with a light starter of goat’s cheese with Italian herbs. It should be served chilled. This wine can be enjoyed now or it can be cellared possibly up to 10 years. A reasonable quantity of these wines was made and it is a great wine for wine lists. The price is reasonable for the quality that you get and the enjoyment of this wine is priceless. This is a real treat of old vines wine from the Swartland area and probably the best wine to start with if you are exploring Swartland wines or Mullineux wines.
Producer: Mullineux Wines
Variety: Chenin Blanc 72.4%, Sémillon 6.4%, Clairette Blanche 6.3%, Grenache Blanc 6.3%, Viognier 6.2%, Verdelho 2.4%
Vintage: 2022
Origin: Swartland, Western Cape, South Africa
Winemaker: Chris Mullineux & Andrea Mullineux
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 13.4%
RS: 1.7g/l
Average price: R420
Rating: 96/100

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