Wellington Old Vines Basson Cinsault

Cinsault as a wine and food pairing is often used with sea snails in garlic, better known as Escargot. It also works quite well in pairings with rich foods like stews, braised and roasted meat dishes.

This historic parcel of dry-farmed bush vine Cinsault is rooted in an ancient riverbed in Wellington where deep, sandy alluvial soils lend both perfume and structure to the wine. Registered in 1900, this this single vineyard holds the incredible distinction of being the oldest surviving post-phylloxera red wine vineyard in South Africa. The grapes were hand-harvested in the cool of the morning at sunrise on 18 February 2024, yielding four tons per hectare, equivalent to twenty hectolitres per hectare. A decade into a focused rehabilitation programme, with improved sustainable Regenerative Organic farming practices, the quality of this old vine vineyard continues to advance with each vintage.

This wine was matured for twenty months in 500L French oak barrels.

To highlight the natural tannins of this heritage Cinsault site, 100% crushed whole clusters were placed into tank with only minimal sulphur added and no further additions. Fermentation began spontaneously, with regular pigeage carried out as needed. Given Cinsault’s naturally energetic fermentation, temperatures were carefully moderated to preserve the purity of fruit. After three weeks of extended maceration, the wine was drained and pressed to barrel.

The Leeu Passant winery, based in Franschhoek, was established in 2013 with the purpose of harnessing the most exciting vineyards of the Cape in order to create multi-regional wines from vineyards aimed at expressing the Cape as a whole (not only from Franschhoek). The Name “Leeu Passant” is derived from Heraldry, referring to a ‘passing Lion’ and this is the symbol on the top of the capsule. Chris and Andrea Mullineux search far and wide for the best parcels of grapes for these wines, and make them at the Leeu Passant base, on Leeu Estates.