Mullineux Iron Syrah 2018 Bottle size: 750ml

'Often described as one of the most intellectually challenging wines in the Mullineux line up, the Iron Syrah also happens to be the most powerful, dense, concentrated and broody of the single terroir Syrah releases. Perhaps it is my love for the classical Northern Rhone Syrah expressions of France that make this wine so singularly and utterly seductive and beguiling. The aromatics are indistinguishable from a top Cote-Rotie Syrah with fabulous layers of sweet heady lavender perfume, rooibos, garrigue and savoury grilled herbs, barbequed meats and hints of iron and blood, iodine, bruleed earth and hedonistic notes of sweet oak spice, roasted coffee beans and a kiss of mocha complexity. So impressively compact, dense and concentrated, every component seems to add synergy to the seamless balance with the tannin management excelling yet again. This is truly a wine of impressive power and beauty within an international fine wine context. Drink from release after decanting or age for 15 to 20+ years. (2,628 bottles produced.)' – Greg Sherwood MW, 98/100

'Now that Porseleinberg has changed in style, the Mullineux's Iron Syrah can adopt the mantle of the Cornas taste alike of the Swartland. Tannic and intense, it's a wild, dense, blood and guts style wine with lots of whole bunch intensity and a ferrous finish. Drink 2024-35.' – Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2020, 96/100

'Black berries, violets, earth, black pepper and other spice. The palate is dense and weighty with nicely grippy, mouthcoating tannins, the finish super-savoury. As ever, the most forceful of the trio.' – Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 96/100

'The 2018 Syrah Iron has a high-toned nose delivering more blue fruit than the Schist Syrah, and certainly more floral and perhaps Rhône-like in style. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins on the entry and granular in texture. Wonderful tension and mineralité come through on the graphite-tinged finish. This might ultimately be my pick from Mullineux's Syrahs. Drink 2024-2042.' – Neal Martin, Vinous, 93/100 (Apr 2021)