2019 Mullineux White Old Vines

The 2019 White Old Vines was left without additional sulfur on its lees until spring and matured in foudres and 500-liter used barrels for nine months. It has a fragrant bouquet of nutmeg, hazelnut and touches of white chocolate, suggestions of orange blossom developing with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a wonderful, tensile opening, hinting at marmalade, quince and subtle walnut and smoky notes on the finish, which has real gusto. This is a wonderful white blend from the Chris and Andrea Mullineux.

Full bottle 1,390 g. Blend that this year comprises 74% Chenin Blanc, 8% Clairette, 7% Viognier, 6% Grenache Blanc, 2% Sémillon Gris, 2% Macabeo (aka Viura), 1% Verdelho. (Interesting to see the Viura there …) The 2019 vintage was very dry with average yields reduced by 30%. The lower yields resulted in significantly smaller grape bunches and berries, leading to wines with higher than normal extract and concentration. The canopies were also more open, allowing more sunlight onto the grapes resulting in thicker skins, more tannins and darker-fruit aromatics. Veraison was relatively late, meaning harvest was delayed by 10–14 days. The wine is made from a blend of seven sustainably farmed parcels from across the Swartland. Two are on the stony schist-based soils of the Kasteelberg: one parcel of 41-year-old Chenin Blanc; and a parcel of 11-year-old Grenache Blanc, and five-year-old Macabeo and Verdelho. This soil lends a mineral freshness to the wine. Two parcels of 40- to 65-year-old, dry-farmed, bush-vine Chenin Blanc, one parcel of 44-year-old Clairette Blanche and Andrea's favourite 60-year-old heritage Sémillon Gris vineyard on the decomposed granite of the Paardeberg. The age of the vines, and the granite content in the soil, results in concentrated, complex wines with lifted acidity. The final parcel is 21-year-old Viognier grown on the iron-rich soils of the rolling hills west of Malmesbury. As each parcel was harvested, the grapes were chilled in Mullineux's cold-room facility. The grapes were then pressed as whole bunches and the juice was allowed to settle overnight. Minimal SO 2 was added and, as with all their wines, no other additions were made. The juice was then racked to barrel for fermentation. Fermentation took place with indigenous yeasts and lasted up to eight weeks. The wine was left, without additional sulphites, on its lees until spring, with nine months spent in third- and fourth-fill French oak 500-litre barrels and one new 2,000-litre foudre. During this time the wine finished malolactic conversion. The barrels were racked and blended just before the following vintage and bottled unfiltered. TA 5.7 g/l, RS 1.9 g/l. Intense honey and beeswax on the nose. This is such a classic wine that has never disappointed but you can taste the extra concentration in this vintage. An untutored palate might assume wrongly that this wine has some sweetness because it's so rich. Satin texture and waves of flavour including green leaves and Cape gooseberries. Long, subtle and thoroughly admirable. (JR)