When in Franschhoek, you'll notice quite a few bronze Lions "prowling" around town, with their tails curved over their backs. Well, they are not there just by chance just so that you know. These Lions link in with a wine estate that really has made it's mark in the South African wine industry over it's short lifespan. So Lion in Sanskrit, translates to Singh. And this happens to relate directly to Amaljit Singh, the man who has established a significant presence in the Franschhoek Valley.
But Lion also translates to Leeu in Afrikaans & this then fits into the name of Millineux & Leeu Family Wines. This marked the 1st capital venture of Amaljit Singh in the Cape Winelands with Chris & Andrea Mullineux.
Quite the interesting story right? Well, the wines that you'll get to taste out at Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines are maybe even more interesting.
Upon arrival at the Leeu Estate in Franschhoek, you'll immediately feel the grandeur as you drive up the winding road to The Wine Studio. This is the tasting room & has been designed to create the ultimate environment to taste the wines on offer. (It is really beautiful. Homely in a way, but still oozes that grandeur that you experience on your way up to the tasting room.)
You'll have an option of tastings to choose from. But if I can give a hint, you need to make a reservation to do a tasting here to ensure that they have space to accommodate you & so that you'll be greeted by name on arrival. Their wines are also produced in limited quantities, so you may even get to taste some wines here that have already 'sold out.' (That's definitely an added bonus & unique experience that you don't want to miss.)
My favourite tasting here, must be the 'Single Terroir Tasting.' Comprising of Swartland wines, that are only produced in the vintages where the winemakers get the best expression of terroir from a single specific site. So what that essentially boils down to, is that the winemaker makes a wine from grapes that have been grown on only one site. Terroir boils down to what the soil is & what is in the soil that will affect the growth & development of grapes.
In this tasting, you'll get: Granite Syrah; Schist Syrah & Iron Syrah. So in essence you're tasting the same varietal but the grapes have just been grown on different sites, namely - granite, schist & iron. It is a brilliant way for you to taste how grapes are affected purely based on the soil that it is grown in. The characteristics of the soil bring out different elements of each varietal, that make it utterly unique.
To further help you understand the concept of terroir, the friendly assistants in the tasting room present you with samples of the soil of each wine, as you taste it. It really adds another dimension to what you are tasting & it helps you move through the different textures of each wine.
A visit to Mullineux & Leeu for this Single Terroir Tasting will give you a bit more insight into the fact that wine is not only about the taste & smell, but also about the 'feel' & texture of wines.
A special thanks to The Wine Studio team for having us & making this visit truly memorable.
#WineRoutingWithLloyd - Driven by the #KiaSportage
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