I first tasted the wines of the Mullineux family years ago, and I was absolutely blown away by the value proposition—a wine that is thoughtful, delicious, and food-friendly to open any day of the week without pause. What I loved about these wines was the tension of ripe dark fruit balanced with savory notes of olive and black pepper. We often find that our favorite wines are those that somehow manage to be thoughtful and hedonistically delicious at the same time, and Mullineux falls squarely in that category.

The incredible balance of these wines is due largely to the perspective gained by Chris and Andrea Mullineux during their harvests in California and France, in addition to South Africa. Andrea was named Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast in 2016—the same year she and Chris captured the title of South African Winemakers of the Year from Tim Atkins. However, such balance in these wines would not be possible without the climate of South Africa’s Swartland region. Natural sun and warmth are moderated by coastal influence from the West, producing an ideal growing climate for Syrah. The tension of bright days to gain natural ripeness and cooler evenings to retain freshness and a savory quality make for an immensely balanced and downright delicious glass.