We can call this the mini Porseleinberg or the baby brother.

The 2025 vintage marks Lukas van Loggerenberg’s tenth under his own label. A decade shaped by enduring relationships with exceptional old vineyards and the families who have farmed them for generations. Following a cold winter and mild growing season, the harvest unfolded slowly and naturally, allowing each vineyard to be picked at its point of balance. The resulting wines are defined by purity, precision and composure, expressing both the character of the 2025 vintage and Lukas’s deepening understanding of these remarkable sites.

High Hopes is Lukas van Loggerenberg's Swartland Syrah, grown on ancient blue-slate and schist soils and dry farmed under organic practices. The 2025 vintage marks a shift for the label: for the first time, the Syrah's own gravitas was judged strong enough to stand alone, without the small portion of Grenache that has typically rounded out the blend in past years.

Planted on ancient blue-slate and schist soils, these dry farmed, organically tended vines are now in their mid-teens and yield just 2.5 tons per hectare. Warmed by the Mediterranean sun and cooled by Atlantic breezes, the site brings savoury, olive tapenade character and a wild minerality to the wine.

The Syrah was 100% whole bunch fermented and aged in 500-litre barrels, with a single extraction method performed daily during fermentation. The wine was blended after ten months in oak and bottled straight away. No enzymes or commercial yeast were used.

Tasting Notes: These mid-teen, dry farmed vines yield just 2.5 tons per hectare of small, intensely flavoured berries. The schist soils bring the savoury, black olive tapenade character this site is known for, framed by a plush, velvety mouthfeel, while exposure to both Mediterranean sun and cooling Atlantic breezes gives the wine its wild minerality and vibrant energy. 100% whole bunch fermentation and ageing in large 500-litre barrels keep the fruit concentrated without excess oak influence.

Food Pairing: High Hopes' savoury olive character, plush texture and concentrated fruit make it a natural match for Mediterranean and Cape braai cooking, dishes with a bit of char, spice or brine to meet the wine halfway. Lamb tagine with olives and preserved lemon: the tagine's own olive and citrus notes echo the wine's savoury tapenade character, while its long, slow-cooked richness matches the wine's plush mouthfeel. Braaied boerewors or lamb chops: the smoke and char from the braai plays into the wine's savoury, spice-driven profile, and the fat in the meat is cut nicely by the wine's freshness. Mediterranean roasted vegetables with tapenade: this keeps the pairing squarely in the wine's own flavour world. Olive, herb and sun-warmed vegetables mirror what's already in the glass. Grilled portobello mushrooms with rosemary: the mushrooms' umami depth complements the wine's savoury character, and rosemary picks up on its herbal, garrigue-like edge. Moroccan-spiced beef or lamb kofte: warm spice, cumin, cinnamon, a touch of chilli, works well against the wine's concentration and dark fruit without overwhelming its freshness.

From a Swartland vineyard on schist. 100% whole-bunch fermented. Matured for 10 months in older oak. Cranberry, raspberry, floral perfume, herbs and white pepper on the nose. Good fruit density, no shortage of freshness, and tightly knit, fine, mouthcoating tannins. There’s an intriguing contrast between the pretty aromatics and the wine’s power and structure on the palate. Alc: 13.8%. CE’s rating: 95 | Distinctive - Winemag.co.za

ANALYSIS: ALC 13.8% | TA 5.6g/L | pH 3.56 | RS 1.8g/L