2022 Mullineux Swartland Syrah

So fragrant, this has ripe cherries, white pepper, dried roses, green olives and Christmas spices on the nose. It shows wonderful freshness and a deliciously peppery character to the bright fruit. Medium-bodied with tight, crunchy tannins. 80% whole-bunch fermentation. Even better after 2025.

The Mullineux 2022 Swartland Syrah comes from a site with quartz formations over schist soils. Quartz tends to erode at a different pace, leaving quartz stones on the surface that reflect light but do not reflect heat. This leads to optimal ripening, with soft cherry and blackberry flavors followed by lightly toasted spice. There is a ferrous note to the wine followed by fine, satiny tannins that have a certain lusciousness about them. The wine sees 80% whole-cluster fruit and is fermented in upright wooden vats. Andrea Mullineux says she is looking for the silky tannins that are specific to the Swartland.