Lukas Van Loggerenberg 2020 Breton Cabernet Franc
Lukas takes Cabernet Franc to a new level. Remarkable freshness and complexity, and in the last few vintages it has moved away from the Bordeaux style of Cabernet, more towards the cool Loire style. In fact the wine takes its name from an old French name for Cabernet Franc. The wine is made up of two parcels: one vineyard planted in 2004 and the other in 2008. The fruit are picked and vinified separately and only blended together before bottling. The two vineyards are planted on decomposed granite with Koffieklip (coffee stone) in the top layer of soil.
50% of the final wine was whole bunch fermented. The destemmed grapes were left on their skins for two weeks after alcoholic fermentation to add depth to the mid palate. Only one punch down was done per day. After pressing, the three parcels underwent malolactic fermentation in barrel on their own. The wines were blended together after 10 months in barrel and bottled right after. No enzymes or commercial yeast was used in making the wines.
"This brilliant, stylishly refined Cabernet Franc uses equal amounts of fruit from the Polkadraai Hills and Firgrove. Perfumed and refreshing, it's a South African take on a St Nicolas de Bourgueil, all balance, poise and detail. Taut and granitic with gentle, caressing tannins and silky red berry and black cherry fruit. 2023-29". Tim Atkin MW, South African Wine Report 2021, 95 Points
The Country
South Africa
South Africa is developing at break-neck speed, so much so that I find it difficult to keep up with all the new, young, driven producers making the next big thing from old-vine Chenin or Chenin blends. There are many high points in our range, but worthy of particular mention are the cool, coastal wines of Newton Johnson, makers of Noble Grape’s favourite best value Pinot Noir, and the quite incredible wines of Chris Williams from The Foundry. From time to time we will have parcels of the aforementioned parcel wines, so keep checking out our latest releases.
The Producer
Lukas Van Loggerenberg
Lukas van Loggerenberg is one of the latest additions to the club of, what I like to call, the 'New Wave': young producers who exploit the old vines and fabulous vineyards of the Cape. His debut vintage was 2016 and is already making a significant reputation for himself and his wines.
His first job was at Rijk’s in Tulbagh, after he graduated from Elsenburg college. Then, after spending two seasons on the Finger Lakes on the eastern side of the USA, he returned home to work at the relatively obscure Druk My Niet wine estate in Paarl. It was in late 2015 during a visit to France, that he made the decision to switch from being a salary-earner and into the terrifying if inevitable world of making his own wine.
So, in this large and remote shed, he produces his own wines in exchange for making a bit of (very good) Swartland Chenin for his landlord.
Lukas owns no vines, but his likeable disposition has enabled him to tap into some great fruit sources, some of which are shared by the great and the good of the SA wine industry.
At what was supposed to be the start of the first vintage in 2016 this new venture Lukas broke his knee-cap and had to undergo two major knee surgeries during harvest. But friends and family helped-out in the cellar, doing punch-downs whilst he was in hospital and arranging for a cellar hand to assist when he returned acting as an ‘extra set of legs’.” This support was part of the reason why Lukas decided to call one of his wines Kamaraderie, whilst the smashed knee-cap was undoubtedly the inspiration behind his rosé being called Break-a-Leg.
Devoted to expressing particular patches of earth, Lukas reminds visitors to his makeshift cellar that terroir is not everything and that some winemakers just have the touch and an instinct to make great wine. As a result, the relatively difficult 2016 vintage seems to have been successful for Lukas, partly due to the involvement he has within the vineyards he makes his wines from. It helps illustrate how he likes to think of himself as “a farmer rather than a winemaker”. All the wines are made without the aid of any additives, including commercial yeast.
