- 100% Syrah
- Grown on the Schisty slopes of Kasteelberg or ‘Castle Mountain’ on the Mullineux’s farm, Roundstone
- These rocky soils limit vine size and so the clusters and individual grapes in turn remain smaller with high skin-to-juice ratio, offering denser, more brooding tannins
- Hand-harvested in February during a cool morning
- 100% whole bunches were immediately foot-crushed into 500L barrels
- Fermented with indigenous yeast and only hand plunging was performed for completely gentle extraction – just enough to keep the cap wet
- After 4 weeks, it was racked and pressed back to the same open top barrels to complete tannin development and allowed its dark perfume to flourish
- Aged for 12 months in 50% new and 50% 4th fill 500L French oak and then another 10 months in 2000L Foudre before being bottled unfiltered
Info
Producer:
Vintage:
2022
Country:
South Africa
Region:
Swartland
Appellation:
Swartland
Variety:
Syrah
Color:
Red
Farming Practice:
Sustainable
Sizes Available
| Full Bottle | ZA-MUL-22-22 | 6/750ml |
Resources
Press & Reviews
James Suckling
Score
95
Date
2024-11-25
"The meatiest and most concentrated of the three single-vineyard syrahs, this has notes of bacon fat, peppercorns, black olives and brambleberries. It's medium- to full-bodied, broad and firm, with fine and chewy tannins. Still tightly wound. From a vineyard planted in 1988. 100% crushed whole-cluster fermentation. Try from 2026."
Vinous
Score
95
Date
2024-09-19
"The 2022 Syrah Schist comes from shallower soils than the Iron with smaller canopies and clusters. It was crushed whole-cluster like the other single vineyards but yielded a higher skin-to-juice ratio as the berries are smaller and the skins thicker. This has a lifted, more fruit-driven bouquet with raspberry, briar, white pepper and a touch of gravel. Smooth and poised, the palate is very harmonious on the entry and perhaps more nuanced and complex than the Iron and Granite cuvees toward the finish. It leaves a dusting of cracked black pepper on the aftertaste. Very persistent in the mouth, this is outstanding."