Provenance

Private Client

Critics Ratings

'Unique & special; took 4.5 years to ferment this ultra-concentrated chenin. Amber gold, stonefruit pips & dried fruit, tealeaf note reminiscent of fine tawny port. Just 5% alcohol, sumptuous 610 g/l fruit-infused sugar, yet has tangy freshness. Knockout. 250 ml.' - Platter's SA Wine Guide 2018, 5*

'Chris and Andrea Mullineux are continually pushing the boundaries of South African wine, and here they are again with a lusciously sweet wine that took four years to finish fermenting. Essence sums up this incredible Chenin Blanc, made without botrytis or skin contact, just very sweet grapes. Marmalade, creme brulé and honeyed notes are balanced by vivid, palate-cleansing acidity. 2017-30' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2017, 97/100

'The 2012 Essence is essentially the last of two-day pressing, fermented for four years in barrel, 4.5% alcohol with (drum roll please) a whopping 650 grams per liter of residual sugar. It was pressed at around 80 brix! Refulgent amber in color, it has a gorgeous orange sorbet, syrup, fig, Seville orange marmalade and quince-scented bouquet that is very well defined. The palate is, to quote Chris himself, a "complete monster"—a diabetic's worst nightmare. The senses are bewildered and then seduced by the payload of sweet honeyed fruit, the 14.5 grams of acidity maintaining the balance and freshness. It positively lacquers the inside of the mouth and the finish delivers just a very subtle bitter lemon note that prevents it from being cloying. Outrageous and probably immortal. There are 700 bottles, all 250-milliliters.' - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 98/100 (April 2017)