Leeu Passant, Old Vines `Basson` Wellington Cinsault 6 Bottle Case 75cl

Equivalent Bottle Price £46.99

This aromatic wine has an alluring and complex nose which opens with notes of roses, cranberries, cherries, spice and a hint of thyme. The palate is fresh and silky in texture, with notes of orange peel, rhubarb, maraschino cherries, pink peppercorns and cloves. Fine tannins give great structure and an enticing mouthfeel to the wine.

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.