Kloof Street Old Vine Chenin Blanc

Kloof Street Old Vine Chenin Blanc is a barrel-aged white wine made in Swartland, Coastal Region (South Africa) by Mullineux & Leeu with the Chenin Blanc variety.

Mullineux & Leeu was set up in 2013 when two projects created through a love for the land began working together. Firstly, winemakers Chris and Andrea Mullineux settled near the town of Riebeek Kasteel (Swartland) in 2007 to hand-make wines from the granite and shale soils typical of the area. Then, in 2010, Hindu Analjit Singh fell in love with the country and bought 3 adjacent farms, forming the Leeu Collection. This partnership has resulted in a wine collection that is divided into three ranges: The Mullineux Range, The Single Terroir Range and The Kloof Street Range.

Within the latter, Kloof Street Old Vine Chenin Blanc comes from three different vineyards. A plot with 35-year-old strains planted on stony ground based on shale, and two more plots with 40-year-old strains on decomposed granite soil. They are all cultivated using sustainable agriculture and the harvest is carried out manually at the optimum time.

The Kloof Street Old Vine Chenin Blanc grapes are pressed in the winery and the resulting must is transferred to stainless steel tanks (85%) and old French oak barrels (15%) for winemaking. Spontaneous fermentation takes place with native yeasts and lasts up to 6 weeks. Then the wines from the two containers are mixed and bottled.

Kloof Street Old Vine Chenin Blanc is an impressive example of recent projects in the Swartland region. A revolutionary way of making wine that prioritises the terroir and the quality of the grape.