Innovators with foresight and plenty of hard work like the Mullineux have turned South Africa’s, Swartland, from a bread basket into a highly-regarded wine region. If you have been turned off by the rough edges of yesteryear’s South African wines, we urge you to dip your tongue into what Jancis Robinson calls “a whole new era in the country’s wine history.”
They explain the “Grapes for our 2017 Chenin Blanc come from three sustainably farmed vineyard parcels in different parts of the Swartland: One parcel of 36 year old Chenin planted in the stony Shale and Schist based soils of Kasteelberg, and two parcels of 40+ year-old dry land, bush vine Chenin grown in the decomposed Granite soils of the Paardeberg.”
And continue in the winemaking “Grapes are chilled in our cold room then pressed whole-bunch and the juice is allowed to settle overnight. Minimal SO2 is added and, as with all our wines, no further additions are made. The juice is then racked to tank (85%) and older French oak barrels (15%) for fermentation. Fermentation is with indigenous yeasts and lasts up to 6 weeks. The barrels are racked and blended with the tank fermented portion and then bottled.”
Chris and Andrea describe the wine: “Pale straw in colour, this wine has a nose of sun ripened pears and wet granite. The palate has a vibrant acidity balanced by a soft, round texture and some pithy character. The wine has a fresh, mineral finish. Drinking beautifully now and best served at 10 to 12 celsius.”
Neil Martin for Vinous summarizes in his words “The 2017 Kloof Street Chenin Blanc was tank-fermented and matured in 10% in neutral oak. It has a rich, almost honeyed bouquet of marmalade and quince. The palate is well balanced with a slightly viscous entry, good acidity and honey and bitter lemon on the finish. This is a very fine Chenin and a great value. 88 points“.