2013 White Old Vines

Chris and Andrea Mullineux only established their winery in 2007 but have already ascended to the top tier of South African wine owing to their splendidly complex Syrah bottlings from a variety of soil types in the Swartland; their white wines, especially from Chenin Blanc, are also excellent. After originally meeting in Champagne, the two--Chris is South African and Andrea hails from San Francisco--worked together at Waterford before starting their venture in what Andrea called "the bread basket of South Africa, planted to wheat, canola and corn.

All of their wines are fermentated with wild yeasts and go through a natural malolactic fermentation, although Andrea noted that the fruit typically begins with only around one gram of malic acidity and thus the wines are not radically transformed during their secondary fermentation. The pair offer Syrahs from shale, schist and granite soils, as well as a vintage blend of the three. These three wines are typically picked at the same level of potential alcohol and made identically; the only difference is the soil. All are fermented in 500-liter heads-off barrels, then aged in the same containers with the heads put back on, after which they spend a year in foudres, with minimal racking. These naturally made wines get very low doses of sulfur.

Incidentally, the new name of the winery reflects the Mullineux's new partnership with Indian businessman Analjit Singh ("singh" is the Hindu word for lion, which is "leeu" in Afrikaans).