| Country: | South Africa |
| Region: | Swartland Region |
| Winery: | Mullineux Family Wines |
| Grape Type: | Chenin Blanc |
| Organic: | Yes |
| Vintage: | 2015 |
| Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Babylons Peak Chenin Blanc is made from 100 percent Chenin Blanc.
Babylon's Peak winery, situated on the highest weathered granite slopes of the Paardeberg Mountain, is privately owned by the Basson family who has passed down the tradition, passion and art of winemaking over four generations. Predominantly low-yield dryland bushvines are selected to produce these excellent wines with distinctive character.
The Chenin Blanc grapes were picked from very old dryland bushvine vineyards. The vineyard grows on weathered granite soils, contributing to the flavor of the grapes and mineral character of the wine. Production is limited to 5 tons/ha.
The grapes were harvest by hand at 22.1°B. The grapes were destalked and lightly crushed. Only the first 450 litres free-run juice per ton were fermented in stainless steel tanks at a cold temperature (10-12°C) for 21 days. The wines was left on the fermentation lees until bottling.
A crisp, fresh and fruity Chenin Blanc from low-yield dryland bushvines.
Pairs with salads, seafood, chicken and other light dishes. The perfect wine for every occasion.
Babylons Peak Chenin Blanc is made from 100 percent Chenin Blanc.
Babylon's Peak winery, situated on the highest weathered granite slopes of the Paardeberg Mountain, is privately owned by the Basson family who has passed down the tradition, passion and art of winemaking over four generations. Predominantly low-yield dryland bushvines are selected to produce these excellent wines with distinctive character.
The Chenin Blanc grapes were picked from very old dryland bushvine vineyards. The vineyard grows on weathered granite soils, contributing to the flavor of the grapes and mineral character of the wine. Production is limited to 5 tons/ha.
The grapes were harvest by hand at 22.1°B. The grapes were destalked and lightly crushed. Only the first 450 litres free-run juice per ton were fermented in stainless steel tanks at a cold temperature (10-12°C) for 21 days. The wines was left on the fermentation lees until bottling.
A crisp, fresh and fruity Chenin Blanc from low-yield dryland bushvines.
Pairs with salads, seafood, chicken and other light dishes. The perfect wine for every occasion.
Riebeek Chenin Blanc is made from 100 percent Chenin Blanc.
As the unofficial drink of the Riebeek Valley, the Riebeek Chenin Blanc is the perfect every day wine that offers uncomplicated quality for the novice and connoisseur alike.
Packed with upfront tropical fruit, the nose charms with an abundance of guava and gooseberries. The pallets follows through with fruit flavors, balanced by a crisp acid to ensure a fresh and fruity style of wine.
Grapes came from both bosstok and trellised vines with some of the vineyards as old as 46 years. Fermentation was done at lower than usual temperatures to capture the fresh fruit flavors.
Very accessible and suited to almost every occasion, the Riebeek Chenin Blanc never disappoints.
The Royal Chenin Blanc Old Vines Steen is 100 percent Chenin Blanc.
As the unofficial drink of the Riebeek Valley, Chenin Blanc is the perfect every day wine that offers uncomplicated quality for the novice and connoisseur alike. Packed with upfront melon fruit, the nose charms with an abundance of guava and gooseberries as well as the signature hint of honey. The palate follows through with fruit flavors balanced by a crisp acid to ensure a fresh and fruity style of wine.
Enjoy well-chilled as a lovely crisp glass on its own but ideal for al fresco dining and with light summer fare. Beautiful with salads, anti pasti and seafood.
The Royal Chenin Blanc Old Vines Steen is 100 percent Chenin Blanc.
As the unofficial drink of the Riebeek Valley, Chenin Blanc is the perfect every day wine that offers uncomplicated quality for the novice and connoisseur alike. Packed with upfront melon fruit, the nose charms with an abundance of guava and gooseberries as well as the signature hint of honey. The palate follows through with fruit flavors balanced by a crisp acid to ensure a fresh and fruity style of wine.
Enjoy well-chilled as a lovely crisp glass on its own but ideal for al fresco dining and with light summer fare. Beautiful with salads, anti pasti and seafood.
Pazo de Senorans Seleccion de Anada Albarino is made from 100 percent Albarino.
Straw yellow with greenish tints, vivid and brilliant. High intensity and very expressive. Profusion of aromas with traces of mineral. Great volume and ample body leaving a lasting impression from beginning to end.
Reviews:
The 2015 Albariño Selección de Añada is nothing short of phenomenal. For some reason, I hadn't tasted the young 2015 Albariño at the time it was released. It comes from the Los Bancales vineyard planted some 50 years ago and fermented with indigenous yeasts but without malolactic fermentation. It has a bright, almost fluorescent color and a complex, subtle and nuanced, elegant and expressive nose, with notes of sea shells and sea breeze, grass and white flowers. It's very clean, and the palate shows great balance and even feels a bit young. It has remarkable acidity and freshness (seven grams of tartaric acid) with good ripeness and 13% alcohol. This matured in tank with lees for over 30 months and was bottled in June 2024. It feels more serious and less exotic than earlier vintages. 18,000 bottles produced. This is the finest vintage that I can remember. Bravo!
-Wine Advocate 97 Points
Tech:
This wine is lemon-straw in color, with a mineral character on the nose and hints of oatmeal, ripe citrus and spice. There are notes of white peach, oatmeal and almonds on the creamy palate which finishes with a fresh, lemon-pithiness. Best served at about 12 °C, this wine will show optimally if decanted when drunk within the first 3 years after bottling.
Review:
Single vineyard. So fine and expressive with apple, pear and tangerine notes, as well as minerals and spices. Linear and fresh with lovely brightness. 95 Point Jamie Goode
"The Quartz Chenin comes from a lower site than the Granite release, located towards Malmesbury. Showing more volume and weight, with dense, textured flavours of pear spice and tropical fruit, this is sensitively oaked and refreshing on the finish. Drink: 2016-19"
- Tim Atkin (September 2016), 93 pts
The Mullineux Family Winery Estate
This is a small, highly focused family winery producing a select family of hand-crafted wines from the granite and shale based terroirs of the Swartland Region of South Africa.
Chris was born in Cape Town, raised in Johannesburg, and introduced to the world of wine while studying accountancy at the University of Stellenbosch. After braving his way through accounting, he enrolled into winemaking for a second degree, and on graduating took a position starting up a boutique organic winery in Tulbagh, where he was in charge of the vineyards and cellar for 5 very enjoyable years. In addition to stints at de Trafford and Rustenberg wineries in South Africa, Chris has also worked harvests at top wineries in Cote Rotie, Bandol, the Languedoc, Roussillon, and California. Over the years Chris has had good exposure to the people, vineyards and wines of the Swartland. This has lead to a growing love for, and firm belief in the region, and he looks forward to many creative and hard working vintages in this region with his family.
Andrea developed her passion for wine at the family dinner table, growing up in San Francisco. After studying Viticulture and Oenology at UC Davis and completing a handful of harvests in the Napa Valley, Andrea decided to broaden her winemaking knowledge overseas. After a harvest in Stellenbosch, she went on to work in Chateauneuf and, on the same trip, met Chris at a wine festival in Champagne! Andrea's love for South African wine (and Chris) brought her back to South Africa where they learnt that their compatibility extended into the vineyards and cellar. When Andrea is not hard at work in the cellar, her creative energies flow into the kitchen where she loves cooking up a storm, glass of wine in hand.
The Mullineux Family Winery Vineyards
Very low summer rainfall coupled with afternoon and evening breezes off the Atlantic Ocean result in low disease pressure. Vineyards are often planted in amongst the natural rhenoster veldt 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 of herbicides.
Chris and Andrea have put together a group vineyards in the most interesting parts of the Swartland, which are mostly found around the shale and schist based Riebeek Kasteel Mountain, and the granite based Paardeberg mountain.
Lammershoek - The deep white, granitic soils on Lammershoek produce wines that are exceptionally pure, with a granitic perfume that shines through in red and white varieties.
Kasteelsig - The soils, found on the rolling hills north of Malmesbury, are a deep combination of red gravel and iron, and produce dark, concentrated wines that are the flesh of our blends.
Kloovenburg - The highly varied row directions and aspects bring much complexity to wines, and the high shale content of the soils gives serious structure, and brings an earthy spicy character to syrah planted in them.
Mountain View - The soils are shale based, which drain easily, reducing vigor and providing grapes of perfume, freshness and structure.
The vineyards are planted with grape varieties (which are mostly Mediterranean in origin) that are ideally suited to the environment, and are farmed sustainably and in harmony with their surroundings: Syrah, Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Viognier.
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
When we set out to produce Pinot Noir at Donelan Family Wines, we wanted to make a wine that embraces our favorite aspects of great Pinot from Sonoma County. The journey has taken us to the Two Brothers Pinot Noir where we believe terroir and technique have met at a beautiful crossroads. The composition of the Two Brothers wine is rooted heavily in Bennett Valley and Russian River Valley lending spice and earth to the nose, while the Sonoma Coast fruit gives an aromatic lift to the wine and brings length to the palate.
Named after siblings Tripp and Cushing Donelan, the Two Brothers Pinot Noir has become a fan favorite of our customers. It’s an extremely versatile wine. For one, it’s ready to drink upon release, but will also age beautifully for years if you throw a few bottles in your cellar. Our preferred food pairing with the Two Bros is always a game bird. Turkey, wings, quail, dove, or duck recipes are all super complimentary with this Pinot Noir’s dark fruit, spice, and freshness. We tend to recommend this wine for Thanksgiving every year.
Aromas recall a bouquet of rose petals and gingersnaps. A full, fleshy mouth-feel on the mid-palate with a beautiful fruit composition of plum sauce, cranberries, and fresh flowers.
Review:
Always a super-expressive wine, and in 2023 it truly delivers, showing pure, vibrant red fruit laced with brown baking spices and smoky clove. The palate is beautifully deep and penetrating, carrying impressive flavour intensity through to a long, mineral-driven, medium-bodied finish. Apple-skin tannins and savoury brown spice notes linger effortlessly, giving the wine both grip and persistence. Two Brothers is sourced from prime vineyard sites across Sonoma County, including Mardikian, Devoto, Bucher and Klopp in the Russian River Valley, along with Henry David Vineyard in Bennett Valley. The wine undergoes native fermentation, with 39% new French oak, and is aged for 17 months, incorporating approximately 16% whole clusters. - Jonathan CRISTALDI"
Decanter (January 5th 2026), 95 points