2017 Leeu Passant, Stellenbosch Dry Red Wine, 6x750ml
These wines are made at Leeu Estates in Franschhoek, which was founded by Analjit Singh. The partnership with Chris and Andrea Mullineux started in 2013 when Analjit, who had visited South Africa for the first time in 2010 for the FIFA World Cup, bought into Mullineux. Chris and Andrea were brought in as winemakers at Leeu Estates, enabling them to work with fruit from Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and other regions beyond Swartland. “Rosa Kruger, our viticulturalist, had for years been enthusing to us about various parcels of fruit, but as they were outside the Swartland, we couldn’t use them in Mullineux,” explains Chris. Rosa Kruger, named ‘the queen of the Cape’s old vines’ by Tim Atkin MW, has been almost single-handedly responsible for finding and saving many of the Cape’s most venerable vineyards and also works with Fairview in Paarl and Gabriëlskloof in Walker Bay.
Availability: In stock
Case size: 6 / Bottle size: 750ml
Duty Status
From £315.00
Critics Score: 93
Publication: Neal Martin, Vinous
Drinking Dates: 2023-2036
The 2017 Dry Red Wine offers fragrant, open-knit scents of crushed strawberry, maraschino cherries, orange pith and a background scent of potpourri, cohering with aeration. The palate has a well balanced, quite fleshy opening and silky-smooth red fruit. More tender than expected, with a caressing, almost Grenache-like finish. Delicious.
2017 Leeu Passant, Stellenbosch Dry Red Wine
Source of Grapes: From one parcel of 38 year old dry farmed bush vine Cabernet Sauvignon planted in deep alluvial soils of Stellenbosch; one 117 year old dry farmed bush vine Cinsault vineyard (South Africa's oldest registered Red Wine Vineyard) planted in deep sandy alluvial soils in Wellington; one parcel of 95 year old (SA’s 2nd oldest registered Red Wine Vineyard) dry farmed bush vine Cinsault planted on the lower eastern slopes of Franschhoek mountains; and a parcel of high altitude Cabernet Franc planted on the mid slopes of the Helderberg mountain in Stellenbosch.
Winemaking: Grapes are cooled in our cold room then destemmed into tank. The final blend is with 50% whole clusters. Minimal sulphur is added, and no further additions are made. The must is initially pigeaged once a day. After about 4 days fermentation begins without inoculation and the wine is pigeaged twice a day. Temperatures are not allowed to exceed 28°C. Fermentation lasts from 7 to 10 days. After fermentation, a couple of weeks skin contact is given, and the wine is then drained and pressed to barrel. The wines are racked and blended mid-way through the year and bottled after 20 months in barrel.
Maturation: 12 months in 500L French oak barrels; 30% new, then blended into seasoned 2000L Foudre for a further 8 months.
Tasting Note: This medium to full bodied wine has attractive aromas of mulberry leaves, cassis and cedar. These follow through on the palate which has a firm structure, grainy tannins, and hints of peppercorns and tobacco. The finish is dry, layered and long. Although surprisingly accessible now, this wine will greatly benefit from decanting if drunk within the first 3 to 5 years after bottling and will reward if cellared properly over the next few decades. Best served at 16-18°C.
Source of Grapes: From one parcel of 38 year old dry farmed bush vine Cabernet Sauvignon planted in deep alluvial soils of Stellenbosch; one 117 year old dry farmed bush vine Cinsault vineyard (South Africa's oldest registered Red Wine Vineyard) planted in deep sandy alluvial soils in Wellington; one parcel of 95 year old (SA’s 2nd oldest registered Red Wine Vineyard) dry farmed bush vine Cinsault planted on the lower eastern slopes of Franschhoek mountains; and a parcel of high altitude Cabernet Franc planted on the mid slopes of the Helderberg mountain in Stellenbosch.
Winemaking: Grapes are cooled in our cold room then destemmed into tank. The final blend is with 50% whole clusters. Minimal sulphur is added, and no further additions are made. The must is initially pigeaged once a day. After about 4 days fermentation begins without inoculation and the wine is pigeaged twice a day. Temperatures are not allowed to exceed 28°C. Fermentation lasts from 7 to 10 days. After fermentation, a couple of weeks skin contact is given, and the wine is then drained and pressed to barrel. The wines are racked and blended mid-way through the year and bottled after 20 months in barrel.
Maturation: 12 months in 500L French oak barrels; 30% new, then blended into seasoned 2000L Foudre for a further 8 months.
Tasting Note: This medium to full bodied wine has attractive aromas of mulberry leaves, cassis and cedar. These follow through on the palate which has a firm structure, grainy tannins, and hints of peppercorns and tobacco. The finish is dry, layered and long. Although surprisingly accessible now, this wine will greatly benefit from decanting if drunk within the first 3 to 5 years after bottling and will reward if cellared properly over the next few decades. Best served at 16-18°C.
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