From the iron-rich koffieklip (lateritic) soils of the Rondomskrik bush-vine parcel on rolling hills outside Malmesbury. Hand-picked; spontaneous primary and secondary ferments; matured ~11 months in seasoned 225-L French oak; minimal SO₂ post-settling. Technicals: 13.5% alc; RS 1.9 g/L; TA 5.6 g/L; pH 3.40. Aromatics lean to yellow orchard fruit with orange-peel lift and a faint flinty edge; palate shows high natural extract, focused acidity and a gently saline finish.
Mullineux 'Iron' Chenin Blanc 2023
Mullineux is a Swartland benchmark founded in 2007 by winemakers Chris and Andrea Mullineux. Farming centres on dryland bush vines and a shift toward regenerative organic practices, with fruit drawn from sites on the region’s key soil families—granite, schist/shale and iron—chosen to express Swartland terroir with precision. The focus is cool-headed, site-driven Chenin Blanc and Syrah crafted with minimal intervention, a style that has helped make Mullineux one of South Africa’s most lauded producers, including an unprecedented five “Winery of the Year” titles in Platter’s South African Wine Guide (2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2023).
Swartland is a warm, dry Wine of Origin district north of Cape Town within the Coastal Region. Vineyards climb ancient granite and shale/slate formations—prominently the Paardeberg and Kasteelberg—producing naturally concentrated fruit from largely dry-farmed bushvines. A broadly Mediterranean climate, tempered by Atlantic influences and persistent summer winds, supports fresh yet textural styles, with Chenin Blanc and Syrah leading the charge.
