Lukas and Roxanne van Loggerenberg’s latest releases are confident, settled and precise. 2023 was an excellent vintage for them, and the Kameraderie and Trust Your Gut are both brilliant examples of the clarity and energy that the granite soils of the Swartland and Stellenbosch offer Chenin Blanc. The Kameraderie is ‘extraordinarily balanced and seamless’, according to Christian Eedes, and the Trust Your Gut shows ‘lovely fruit definition, full of pep, the finish extremely long and pithy’.
The van Loggerenberg Cinsaults continue to impress. Their Geronimo 2023 shines with ‘crazy compelling aromatics’, whilst the Lötter 2023 is pure class – hailing from SA’s second-oldest registered red wine vineyard, planted in Franschhoek in 1932. It’s a serious, cellar-worthy wine with detailed tannins.
This is the third release of the High Hopes – a blend of 92% Syrah and the rest Grenache. The wine is produced from Swartland schist soils, versus the Graft Syrah, which grows on Polkadraai granite soils. Both are exciting, transparent expressions of their terroir. The High Hopes impresses with ‘tannins that are immaculately managed in their fineness’, says Christian, and the Graft is noted for its poise and precision. SA Syrah is on fire!
The Breton Cabernet Franc 2023 is at the heart of this release. It’s the wine that’s most dear to Lukas and certainly the finest in its style in South Africa. Destined to mature beautifully for a decade or more, the 2023 offers ‘pure fruit, lip-smacking acidity and an uncompromisingly dry finish’, writes Christian.
These small-batch wines showcase the skill of a very talented winemaker.
