Syrah Swartland, Mullineux 2022

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.

If the Mullineux’s terroir-focused Syrahs have maxed out your credit card, why not treat yourself to a bottle of this 'regular' release instead. Sourced from the Swartland's three main soil types, this has lovely fynbos and clove aromas, some stemmy notes from 80% whole bunches, blackberry, cooked meat and tapenade flavours and impressive depth and density. A Cape Crozes-Hermitage.

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 flavours 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.