Provenance

Private Client

Critics Ratings

‘Lustrous garnet. Very suave tannins with really energetic fruit. More complex and deeper-flavoured than the Basson example from Wellington. This has the red-cherry lift of a fine Cinsault. Well done!’ – Jancis Robinson, JancisRobinson.com, 17/20 (Mar 2021)

‘Like sibling, from a venerable parcel, dry-farmed bushvines planted 1932 in sandstone on Franschhoek’s eastern slopes, 2018 shows impressive concentration from vine age, aspect & natural low 3 t/ha yield, great density of fruit & tannins. Perhaps less appeal upfront than Basson, as beautifully dry, persistent & ageworthy.’ - Platter's SA Wine Guide 2021, 4.5* (93/100)

‘Made from vines originally planted in 1932, the dry-farmed 2018 Leeu Passant Old Vines Lotter Cinsault displays a classic ruby core and aromas of dark cherry, plum skin, dusty black raspberry and hints of wild brush and dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is spicy with dusty red fruit and reminds me of a young Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with subtle baking spices, rocky mineral tension and lifted structure with firm tannins across the mid-palate. Ending with a tightly wound finish, this should easily last until its 10th birthday. This is an absolutely delightful, age-worthy and food-friendly Cinsault. Bravo!’ – Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate, 92+/100 (Oct 2021)

‘The 2018 Old Vines Lötter Cinsault has a gorgeous bouquet of lifted red cherries, crushed strawberry and a touch of shoe leather, all very well defined and focused. The palate is well balanced with a lightly spiced entry, a fine bead of acidity and a caressing texture. Chinese five-spice and notes of sage appear toward the complex finish. This is an excellent Cinsault from Andrea and Chris Mullineux.’ – Neal Martin, Vinous, 93/100 (Oct 2020)

‘Andrea Mullineux used to make Lötter as a Cape Winemakers' Guild auction lot, but the 3,000 bottles are now sold under the Leeu Passant label. Rose petal and Turkish delight aromas segue into a palate that's surprisingly dense and concentrated with sappy, old-vine complexity. 2022-28’ - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2020, 95/100

‘The large Cinsault berries in the Lotter vineyard develop thick dark skins and yield a skin to juice ratio not dissimilar to small Cabernet Sauvignon berries. This wine was matured for 20 months in 500 litre French oak barrels and shows a fascinatingly different expression to their Basson Old Vine Cinsault from Wellington. Fabulously red fruited, the bouquet shines with crushed rose petals, sweet red plums, sun ripened red currants, macerated cherries and exotic Turkish delight nuances. Fuller, rounder and more opulently fleshy on the palate, the generosity of fruit belies a density, depth and concentration supported by a plump, textured mouth feel enlivened with hints of sapidity, hedgerow herbaceousness and mulled wine Christmas spices. Beautifully sweet, well honed tannins leave a lasting impression on the long plush finish. A wine still playing its cards close to its chest, but suggests great rewards lie in store for those willing to cellar their bottles for a further 5 to 8+ years before revisiting.’ – Greg Sherwood, Wine Safari, 93+/100 (Jun 2020)