2021 KLOOF STREET RED, Mullineux. Swartland, South Africa

Swartland is a sprawling region north east of Cape Town, little known until around 2000, but now renowned because of the renewal of interest in serious, savoury wines made from old bush vines (the area has a lot of old Chenin and red Rhône varietals).
From the Mullineux website:
“Grapes for our Kloof Street red come from eight sustainably farmed vineyards in different parts of the Swartland, aged 12-40 years: Two parcels of Syrah and one parcel of Cinsault in the stony Shale and Schist based soils of Kasteelberg; and one parcel of dry land, bushvine Syrah, one Carignan, one Grenache and a single parcel of gnarly old dry farmed Tinta Barocca bush vine, all in the decomposed Granite of the Paardeberg, and one parcel of Mourvèdre grown on the rolling, iron-rich soils west of Malmesbury.”

69% Syrah, 15% Tinta Barocca, 11% Grenache, 4% Cinsault, 1% Carignan. Fermented quite cool (max 28C) with 25% whole bunches; 11 month maturation in old French oak barrels.

Owned by Chris and Andrea Mullineux, set up in 2007. In 2013 Analjit Singh invested in the firm and it was re-named Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines.
They are not fully ‘natural’, but they would describe themselves as ‘minimal intervention’, with minimal sulphur dioxide the only addition used.
The winery is located in Riebeek Kasteel.

Savoury but bright. A lot of complexity and drinkability for the price.