Mullineux Iron Syrah ‘Kasteelsig’ 2021

Kleur:  donkerrood
Geur: zwart fruit, zwarte bessen, pruimen, tikje kruidig, lavendel, peper, zwarte olijf
Smaak: vol en krachtig, rijp fruit (zwarte kersen en bessen), tannines stevig, complex, nog erg jong
Houdbaar: vrijwel op dronk, houdbaar tot 2045
Lekker bij: gebraden rundvlees (ribeye, entrecote, Côte de Boeuf), lamsbout met rozemarijn en knoflook, linzenstoof met Provençaalse kruiden, belegen en oude Hollandse kaas

Tasting Notes:
The 2021 IRON Syrah brims with flavours of wild Dune-fig, dark plum and hints of tomato leaf. The Koffieklip soils give us a wine that is rich and round, with gravely but plush tannins and the full-bodied mid-palate, distinct charcuterie and chalky tannins are a true testament of its natural extract. The ageing potential is at least 25 years, and this Syrah would be best served decanted if opened in its youth at a temperature of between 16 to 18 °Andrea Mullineux

Tim Atkin SA Special Report, 96/100
I like to think of the Iron Syrah as the most ascetic of the Mullineux reds, a dense, backward, slightly ferrous number with lots of blood and guts. Inky, dense and grippy, it’s a wonderfully brooding expression of the variety that will reward patience, allowing the damson and blackberry fruit to integrate fully with the tannins and 50% new wood. 2025-33

WineMag, 96/100
From a vineyard outside Malmesbury. 100% crushed whole-bunch fermentation. Red and black berries, earth, violets and pepper on the nose. The palate is the plushest of the three examples of Syrah – luscious fruit, moderate acidity and silky tannins. Immensely pleasing to drink. Alc: 13.5%.

Platter’s ****(*) 94/100
Grown on red iron-rich hill in Malmesbury, 2021 oozes personality: rich & round with ripe plums & mulberry, charcuterie, dried herbs & pot-pourri. Perfectly balanced & harmonious, unfurling never-ending layers of fruit, powdery tannins & exotic spice. Ageworthy, like 2020 (5 stars, 95 pts). Available in magnums, as rest of range.

Greg Sherwood MW, 97/100 (oogst 2020)
On the nose there are pronounced notes of scorched earth, tapenade, broody black berry and black cherry fruits together with some red fruit brightness. The slightly reductive palate boasts a great depth of fruit with rich round tannins leading the way structurally. A wine that always has the highest natural extract but like this 2020 release, shows itself with the most generosity, harmony and balance. In common with both the Granite and the Schist Syrah expressions, this wine definitely has its own very unique personality derived from its terroir and typified by its very Northern Rhone physique, its savoury cured meat and irony complexity, the bright fresh acids and the suave powdery tannins. Tasted over three days, this is the wine that unfurled and fanned its peacock tail the most. Another very age worthy expression that is a true testament to the Mullineux’s winemaking prowess. Drink from 2024 to 2040+.

Platter’s ***** (oogst 2020)

Winemaking:
In order to accentuate the IRON terroir, the grapes were foot-stomped as 100% wholeclusters into open top 500L barrels where hand punch-downs took place to encourage natural and very gentle extraction. The fermentation cycles completed with indigenous yeast and microbes and after a further four weeks of maceration, the wines were racked and pressed to these original vessels for its maturation period

Maturation:
This wine was aged for 12 months in French oak 500L barrels, of which 50% was new, followed by another 10 months in 2000L Foudre and eight months of aging in bottle before its release.