2022 Mullineux, Signature Syrah

The gorgeous Signtaure Syrah is the perfect wine for any barbecue, hard to resist now but capable of ageing for a couple of decades. From dry-farmed parcels of old-vine Syrah aged for 11 months in French oak, (15% new). Very expressive and floral, with both fresh and dried violets, black currant, ripe black cherry, blood orange, a hint of dry clay, green and black peppercorns.  Very smooth tannins and a restrained mineral finish. Layered, elegant, precise and seductive.

"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. "Those tannins are a real fingerprint of the region," she says. Drink 2025-2038."  Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate