2022 Mullineux Syrah Granite
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Tasting notes
The 2022 Swartland Granite Syrah is made with 100% whole-cluster fruit that sees a very meticulous fermentation process that Andrea Mullineux likens to "brushing out the long hairs." When you work with whole clusters, she explains, you don't want astringency from the stems. Therefore, she gently pushes down on the cap with a fork and then continues with her hands to "massage" the cap one or two times per day. Cap management is like a tea infusion, not a coffee extraction, she says. This is a naturally fresh (low pH wine) that sings with red and purple fruits. The tannins and the acidity build nicely together, playing off each other, to create a wine of formidable length and intensity.
Critic scores
Neal Martin
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2022 Syrah Granite comes from the Jakkalsfontein vineyard that used to deliver fruit to the local cooperative. Mullineux has worked with this vineyard for 20 years, and several notable growers source from here. Like the Iron and Schist cuvées, this was punched down by hand, then matured in used barrels for the first year and 2,000-liter foudres for the second. The bouquet offers a mixture of red and black fruit, a touch of gravel and notes of black pepper. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins on the entry. This is a more introspective Granite Syrah compared to other vintages. It’s powerful and a little austere with a slightly earthy, powdery finish. Give this three to four years in bottle if you can.
About the producer
Chris and Andrea Mullineux were at the forefront of South Africa’s new-wave movement and are now one of the country’s most established names. Alongside the Swartland project that made their name, they make wines in Franschhoek under the Leeu Passant name – a tribute to South Africa’s vinous past.