2022 Van Loggerenberg Graft Syrah

“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). (Drink between 2026-2050)

Lukas van Loggerenberg has established himself as one of South Africa’s leading winemakers in recent vintages. One of the most affable and passionate winemakers you could meet, he seems to impart a bit of his own personality into these wines. “The cool February meant that 2022 was later ripening for red varieties,” he tells me. I tasted his remarkable 2022 Graft, a pure Syrah from Polkadraai Hills, one of the wines of the vintage, a wine that could take on the very best from the Northern Rhône.”