Leeu Passant is a prestigious winery that emerged from the partnership between acclaimed winemakers Chris and Andrea Mullineux and Analjit Singh’s Leeu Collection, established in 2013. 

While the Mullineuxs are widely recognized for their Swartland wines under the Mullineux label, Leeu Passant was created to explore and showcase South Africa’s historic vineyards beyond the Swartland region, with a particular focus on Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

The winery is situated on Leeu Estates in Franschhoek. Leeu Passant’s philosophy is rooted in honoring the Cape’s fine wine heritage, drawing inspiration from classic age-worthy South African wines of the mid-20th century. They meticulously select grapes from old, often heritage, vineyards across various regions, including Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Wellington.

Leeu Passant produces a select range of wines, including a Stellenbosch Chardonnay, a Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon, a Wellington Cinsault, and their flagship “The Leeu Passant” dry red blend, which often features Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Cinsault. Their winemaking approach is minimalist, focusing on expressing the unique terroir and historical significance of each vineyard site.

Variety: 100% Chardonnay

Vineyard details:
This extraordinary Chardonnay site is situated on the high gravelly slopes of the Helderberg Mountain and in near proximity to False Bay, the cold Atlantic Ocean. Planted at 400m, it therefore benefits from the maritime influenced breezes cool days and mild nights of the area, which brings an incredible intensity and freshness to the wine. The outstanding 2023 vintage highlighted this vineyard’s great balance of palate texture and outstanding natural acidity.

Dates Harvested:
The grapes were hand-harvested on the cool mornings between the 14th and 17th of March 2023 and yielded approximately five tons per hectare, which translated to an average of 34 hectolitre per hectare.

Winemaking:
Once the grapes were whole-bunch pressed, the juice was allowed to settle overnight. The aerated must was then racked to barrel for the spontaneous primary and malolactic fermentation processes to complete, which lasted for just over sixty days. After spending a year on its primary lees, the wine was racked and blended before its final maturation.

Maturation:
This Chardonnay was aged in 225L tight grain French oak barrels for a year. It was then racked, blended and saw an additional ten months maturation in the same casks.

Bottling Date: 24 January 2024
Production: 5100 bottles / 425 cases and 60 Magnums
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch

Technical Details at Bottling:
Alcohol 14% – RS 1.7 g/l – TA 7.1 g/l – pH 3.18

The greatly beneficial impact of the maritime climate on the terroir of this classic Stellenbosch Chardonnay contributes to its complex aromas of perfumed nasturtium and fresh cut lime. It boasts superb vibrancy with flavours of fresh, crunchy yellow stone fruit, a touch of flinty salinity and finishes with a textured and lush mouthfeel.
Best served at 10-12°C, this wine shows excellent now upon its release, and it will reward if cellared optimally for 15 to 20 years.

Winemag – 94 points