Description
100% Syrah- W.O Polkadraai Hills
Soil: Granite rich soils
In the vineyards:
The Syrah vineyard used to produce this wine is planted on Karibib Farm and farmed by Jozua Joubert. The vineyard is planted on a steep south facing slope of the Polkadraai Hills at an elevation of approximately 290m.
In the cellar:
The fruit was 100% whole bunch fermented and left to start fermenting naturally with one punch down per day performed. After pressing, the wine underwent malolactic fermentation in barrel and Italian concrete. The different components were blended together after 10 months of ageing and bottled right after. No enzymes or commercial yeast was used in making the wines.
Reviews
Neal Martin 97
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). [Neal Martin, 01/01/2023]
Greg Sherwood 97
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. (97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW) [Greg Sherwood, 01/01/2023]
JancisRobinson.com 17.5
100% Syrah from the Polkadraai Hills, their highest vineyard. 100% whole bunch, 70% in Italian concrete tanks, 30% in French oak barriques. Smells of black pepper and wild strawberries. Intensely peppery but no shortage of super-fresh, resonant fruit. The tannins feel like old parchment, layer upon layer. It really presses into you, delicious concentration on the mid palate but really dancing on the nose and on the finish. Tremendous energy. (TC) [Jancis Robinson, 01/01/2023]
Producer Profile
Lukas van Loggerenberg’s wines have become part of the fabric of SA cult wines.
Each wine tells a story, from the hard Graft required to build a fine wine brand from nothing in Africa, the Breton, Cabernet Franc that has found a home in Stellenbosch, the 1932 Lötter Cinsault vineyard in Franschhoek that continues to produce quality grapes despite the odds, and the Kamaraderie (Camaraderie) of the SA wine industry that makes it all possible. There are more, but of the 2022 vintage we were able to procure these ethereal wines, that represent more than just an enjoyable drink, but tell a story of a year in the vines, in South Africa, and the fortitude of its maker. Allocations are small, and the wines in great demand, thus make haste
