Mullineux Family Wines, Syrah “Swartland” For Cheap

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. Ultimately, 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 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 50% whole cluster fermentation took place. A twice-daily ‘punch-down’ regimen throughout an all-natural fermentation was employed, followed by an extended maceration (up to seven weeks!) before being transferred into parcel-designated French oak barrels and 2000-liter foudres (15% new). 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. 

Now, onto what matters most: Mullineux’s 2015 Syrah sports a deep, dark ruby-purple core leading out to slight pink and magenta reflections on the rim. The nose is explosive, with a full-on bouquet of just-plucked violet, jasmine, and rose that mingle alongside ultra juicy black raspberry, blackcurrant, boysenberry, and black cherry liqueur. As it opens up in the decanter, you’ll pick up additional notes of sweet olive, leather, and crushed riverstones. The palate is lush and poised with mouthwatering acidity and ultra-smooth tannins. All rich fruits come through seamlessly, finishing harmoniously silky and dry—its structure feels like a wine produced by a world-renowned family with centuries of experience. Although young, it is perfectly integrated, and after a short decant will provide so much fruit and mineral savor that lingers for minutes. Ripe fruits, classic Syrah earth and minerality, and a structure that will age 10+ years; whenever you do end up drinking, you won’t soon forget it. After decanting (you’ll notice sediment due to it being unfined and unfiltered), pour into Burgundy stems around 60-65 degrees and slow-drink this over several hours—let it carry on into day two if you have the self-restraint! Fire up the grill and pair this Syrah with the attached burger recipe that comes with accoutrements of fig jam, goat cheese, and arugula. Cheers!