Mullineux Kloof Street Old Vines Chenin Blanc 2022

Mullineux Family Wines was established in 2007 by Chris and Andrea Mullineux. Within a short time the winery established itself as one of South Africa’s celebrated wine brands, both locally and internationally. In 2013 Analjit Singh joined forces with Chris and Andrea and the company was renamed Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines. In 2017 Chris & Andrea were Tim Atkin’s South African Winemakers of the Year.

Chris and Andrea identified a group of vineyards in interesting parts of the Swartland region which are mostly located around the shale- and schist-based Riebeek Kasteel mountains and the granite-based Paardeberg mountain. Vineyards are planted with grapes varieties which are mostly Mediterranean in origin and ideally suited to the environment. The Swartland is also perfectly suited to natural methods of farming with very low summer rainfall and evening breezes off the Atlantic Ocean. Vineyards are often planted amongst the natual Renosterveld and fynbos which provide refuge for predators of vineyard pests and help reduce the spread of disease. Weeds struggle to establish themselves and spread, making it easier to control them without the need for herbicides.

Grapes for the 2019 Kloof Street Chenin Blanc came from three sustainably-farmed vineyard parcels on a variety of soils in different parts of the Swartland: one parcel of 38-year-old Chenin planted in the stony shale- and schist-based soils of Kasteelberg, and two parcels of more than forty-year-old dry land bush vine Chenin grown in the decomposed Granite soils of the Paardeberg.

The grapes were chilled in the cold room then pressed whole-bunch and the juice was allowed to settle overnight. Minimal sulphur dioxide was added and, as with all Mullineux wines, no further additions were made. The juice was then racked to tank (85%) and older French oak barrels (15%) for fermentation with indigenous yeasts for up to six weeks. The barrels were racked and blended with the tank-fermented portion and then bottled.