Lukas Van Loggerenberg Lötter 2023

This old-vine Cinsault from Lotter feels like a deep whispered secret of Franschhoek: vines planted in 1932, dry-farmed on decomposed granite and sandstone, yielding tiny quantities but magnificent character. The wine is made with minimal intervention — grapes destemmed and fermented naturally, matured with gentle hands — which lets purity and place shine through. On the nose, there’s a mix of red berries (raspberry, cranberry, red cherry), floral and herbal hints, a subtle earthiness and even a touch of clay or slate-like mineral. The palate is fresh and elegant: soft, svelte tannins, bright acidity, and a refined texture that carries the red-fruit core gracefully into a dry, poised finish. There’s depth without heaviness — intensity without weight — and a lovely balance of fruit, earth and salinity that makes it charming now and promising with a little bottle age.

The Label: We named the the wine Lötter to give tribute to Koos Lötter who planted this beautiful vineyard in 1932. On the label there are pictures of plums and peaches which is predominantly planted on the farm. There’s also an image of a father teaching his son how to plant young vines, this is to showcase skills and experiences being passed on to the next generation. The big Fleur de Lis sign at the back of the label is too show the origin of this vineyard which is in Franschhoek, where the French settlers made there home and started farming in the late 17th century.