This is your opportunity to be the first to secure an allocation of the latest limited Leeu Passant release.
The 2022 Stellenbosch Chardonnay is a triumph! This is a world-class Chardonnay and probably the best Stellenbosch Chardonnay we have tasted to date. Powerful, nervy, bright and textured with incredible definition and layers. Sure to age beautifully in the cellar – if you can resist the temptation of drinking it all now.
From the oldest red wine vineyard in SA, the Wellington Old Vines Basson Cinsault is aromatically arresting in 2022. The depth and layered complexity of this wine make it an undeniable SA benchmark. This pitch-perfect wine is bound to last decades! A rare opportunity to drink a wine from a vineyard planted in a time before cars were a norm and before the First World War.
The Leeu Passant (formerly known as the Dry Red) is inspired by some of South Africa’s longest-lasting and most unique wines. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cinsault, it is a true modern classic and one for the cellar. The 2021 impresses with immense power, and complexity, and it’s ultimately the result of Chris and Andrea Mullineux’s careful discovery and deconstruction of what made the legendary SA wines of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s so successful.
The Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon is once again a nod to Bordeaux in 2022. Notes of graphite and cassis jump out of the glass followed by crushed stone minerality over red and black berry fruit profile and a super-dry finish. Medium-bodied and wonderfully fresh it is a deeply satisfying wine.
The new releases are not just excellent, they’re exceptional. With extremely minute quantities available. Please let lauren@winecellar.co.za know your request soonest.
| PRODUCER | WINE | VINTAGE | PRICE | RATING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leeu Passant | Stellenbosch Chardonnay | 2022 | R 915 | CE 96 |
| Leeu Passant | Old Vines Basson Cinsault | 2022 | R 780 | CE 95 |
| Leeu Passant | The Leeu Passant | 2021 | R 1,890 | CE 94 |
| Leeu Passant | Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon | 2022 | R 490 | CE 95 |
Tasting Notes:
Leeu Passant Stellenbosch Chardonnay 2022
‘Grapes from a Helderberg site. Matured for 12 months in 225-litre barrels, a third new. Lemon, a pleasant nuttiness, freshly baked bread and a brush of vanilla on the nose. The palate shows great power and texture – a dense core of fruit to go with arresting acidity, the finish deeply savoury with a certain chalkiness about it. Alc: 13.5%.’ – Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 96/100
Leeu Passant Wellington Old Vines Basson Cinsault 2022
‘Grapes from a vineyard planted in 1900. Matured for 21 months in 500-litre barrels. Rose, cranberry, raspberry, prune and spice on the nose while the palate has both breadth and depth – weighty and round with layers of flavour, the finish savoury. A sumptuous wine, the only weakness perhaps a slight heat to the finish – alcohol is 14.5%.’ – Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 95/100
The Leeu Passant 2021
‘60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cinsault. Matured for 11 months in 500-litre barrels, of which a third were new, before a further 11 months in 2,000-litre foudre. An expressive nose with notes of red and black berries, some leafiness, some fresh herbs and rose. Luscious on entry but then lively acidity becomes apparent, the tannins firm but fine, the finish long and dry. Alc: 13.5%.’ – Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 94/100
Leeu Passant Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
‘Grapes from a Helderberg site. Matured for 12 months in 500-litre barrels, of which a third were new, before a further 16 months in larger format oak. Rose, red and black berries plus a hint of fynbos, this only adding an enticing aromatic quality, and a hint of pencil shavings. The palate is poised and precise – medium-bodied with bright acidity and fine-grained tannins, the finish long and dry. Alc: 14%.’ – Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 95/100
