May 7, 2025
World Class Syrah from Lukas van Loggerenberg
Lukas van Loggerenberg Graft Syrah
97-Points - Neal Martin
We’re huge fans of this wine and are excited to present it for the first time!
“It has a stunning crushed violet petal, mineral-driven bouquet that effortlessly subsumes the 100% whole bunch. The palate is supremely well-balanced and tensile, with touches of pink peppercorn and brine infusing the black fruit, leading to another, almost Cornas-like, pliant finish. This might be the finest wine that I have tasted from Lukas Van Loggerenberg (so far)." - Neal Martin, Vinous
Lukas van Loggerenberg is part of a new wave of winemakers redefining South African wine—bringing sensitivity, detail and restraint to the fore. Originally from Durbanville, Lukas trained at Elsenburg and cut his teeth working at wineries across the Cape and abroad. After several years at Rudy von Waltsleben’s Druk My Niet, he launched his own label in 2016, beginning with just four barrels made in a rented corner of a friend's cellar.
From the outset, Lukas set out to make wines with soul—wines that are expressive, balanced and transparent to place. Working with some of the Cape’s oldest and most characterful vineyards, he champions heritage varieties like Chenin Blanc and Cinsault, often sourced from gnarly old vines across Stellenbosch, Paarl, and the Swartland. His range includes both reds and whites, but all his wines share a common thread: purity of fruit, electric acidity, and a distinct sense of finesse.
Lukas is especially drawn to cooler sites and granite soils, which he believes give his wines their tension and clarity. In the cellar, he’s low-intervention but precise—spontaneous ferments, minimal new oak, no additions beyond a touch of sulphur. His wines have been compared to the Loire, Burgundy and the Northern Rhône, but they are unmistakably South African in energy and identity. Names like Breton, Graft, Geronimo, and Trust Your Gut reflect his humour and humility, even as his reputation continues to soar.
Todays focus is the Lukas van Loggerenberg’s Graft Syrah 2022 which is a standout expression of Polkadraai Hills terroir, sourced from the fabled Karibib vineyard. Fermented with 100% whole bunches and matured mostly in concrete, it delivers a lifted, floral nose of violets and lavender with layers of black olive, brine, and damson fruit. Tense yet finely structured, Graft 2022 is electric and complex—a world-class Syrah that nods to Northern-Rhone’s Cote-Rotie, with age-worthy grip and irresistible charm.
Scoring 97-Points from Neal Martin (1-point higher than any other vintage) and 96-points from Tim Atkin MW, the wine comes in at a fraction of the price of its Rhône counterparts. This is world-class Syrah—and we invite you to join the growing number of collectors who have discovered just how exciting South African fine wine can be. Secure your bottles now before this tiny-production gem disappears.
Lukas van Loggerenberg Graft Syrah 2022
RRP: €44.95 inc VAT
€40.95* inc NL VAT per bottle Special
97 Points | Vinous, Neal Martin
The 2022 Graft is pure Syrah from Polkadraai Hills that is matured two-thirds in concrete, the remainder in second-fill barrels. "It's the easiest wine I make because of the quality of the vineyard," Van Loggerenberg mentions. It has a stunning crushed violet petal, mineral-driven bouquet that effortlessly subsumes the 100% whole bunch. The palate is supremely well-balanced and tensile, with touches of pink peppercorn and brine infusing the black fruit, leading to another, almost Cornas-like, pliant finish. This might be the finest wine that I have tasted from Lukas Van Loggerenberg (so far). Drinking Window: 2026 - 2050
97+ Points | Greg Sherwood MW
This pretty Syrah shows a deep broody aromatics with layers of rose water, lavender, violets, red plum, red cherry, and scented talc. The palate shows incredible intensity and fine chalky tannins with a power and precision, or as Lukas says, Cote Rotie meets Polkadraai Hills! A multi-layered, texturally stimulating Syrah that s incredibly perfumed, intense, and quite profound. One of Lukas s most sophisticated wines without doubt.
96 Points | Tim Atkin MW
"A freak of a vineyard", is how Lukas van Loggerenberg describes Karibib, the source of several of the Cape's most exciting Syrahs, including this one. Fermented with whole bunches before ageing in a 70/30 combination of concrete and older barrels, Graft is a violet, lavender and paprika-scented red with a palate of damson, black olive and blackberry, dense, layered tannins and the grip and concentration to age. World class. 2025-32