Mullineux Family Wines Straw Wine (375ML half-bottle) 2017

Professional Ratings

• 97 Wine & Spirits
  In the warm, dry 2017 vintage, Andrea and Chris Mullineux hit it out of the park with their straw wine, a sweet wine from air-dried grapes. The couple, who work with viticulturist Rosa Kruger, blended this vintage from two parcels: a 37-year-old vineyard of chenin on shale on the Kasteelberg mountain in Riebeek Valley, and a cool site on the Paarderberg, the mountain range dividing Swartland and Paarl, where old bush vines grow on decomposed granite. Rather than letting the fruit get superripe, they harvested it at normal levels (22° Brix in 2017) and left it to dry in the shade outside for several weeks. They then pressed the bunches whole and racked the juice into barrels, where they let ambient yeasts do the work of fermentation. When the yeasts petered out—after about six months—the Mullineux dosed some barrels with sulfur to preserve the freshness of the wine, and let others oxidize. The end result slips over the tongue like satin, notes of stone fruit, broiled pineapple, honey and marzipan left in its wake. It feels somehow weightless, more like a surround-sound experience than a direct hit, and leaves the body tingling. At 308 grams of sugar per liter, and 11.3 grams of acidity, it’s likely to last for decades in the cellar.
• 94 Decanter
  Immense sweetness and concentration on the palate, with an unctuous texture infused by riveting acidity. Spicy, stem ginger, tropical fruit, honey-baked quince and apple flavours, along with a suggestion of panettone. This is a long, layered and vibrant sweet wine style. Drinking Window 2020 - 2032
• 93 James Suckling
  Dried peach stones, apricot tart, dried mangoes, caramelized oranges, creme brulee, banoffee pie, a touch of citrus, orange marmalade and creme caramel. Sweet with a dense, full, oily texture, but there’s some lovely, high acidity right at the back of the palate.
• 92 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

  The 2017 Straw Wine has a fresh and vibrant core of apricot and stone fruit and displays soft oak tones with fresh, sweet corn and honeysuckle flowers. On the luscious palate, the wine is sweet with focused golden raisins, candied green apple, peach blossoms and honeycomb. The finish is voluptuous and velvety with a clean and long-lasting experience that exhibits an excellent focus and precision in winemaking.