Mullineux Old Vines White 2022
Mullineux Family Wines · Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines
A masterclass in patient winemaking from the Swartland — restrained on release, but already telegraphing the gravitas of a wine built for the cellar.
Nose
Yellow orchard fruit, beeswax, dried fennel, and a saline thread of crushed granite, lifted by chamomile and lemon pith.
Palate
Textured and deeply mineral, with quince, ripe pear, lanolin, and preserved lemon coiled around a savory schist-driven core; old-vine concentration shows in its quiet density rather than flamboyance.
Finish
Long, dry, and stony, leaving impressions of white tea, salted almond, and dried herbs.
- Varietal
- Chenin Blanc
- Blend
- Chenin Blanc (approx. 73%), Clairette Blanche, Semillon Gris, Semillon Blanc, Viognier, Verdelho
- Vineyards
- Old bush-vine parcels (average vine age 35–45+ years) across the Swartland's Paardeberg, Riebeek and Kasteelberg sites, planted on decomposed granite, schist and iron-rich koffieklip soils.
- Alcohol
- 13%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
- Skin Contact
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
The Schist Spritz — 3 oz Mullineux Old Vines White, 1 oz dry vermouth, 0.5 oz elderflower liqueur, top with chilled tonic; serve over ice in a large wine glass with a lemon peel and a sprig of fennel.
Food Pairing
Roasted Cape Malay chicken with preserved lemon and almond couscous, or aged Comté.
Founded in 2007 by Chris and Andrea Mullineux in the rugged Swartland, the estate champions dry-farmed, bush-vine parcels — many over 40 years old — coaxing a regional identity out of granite, schist, and iron-rich shale.
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