‘High Hopes’ is a name that was stuck in Lukas’s head for years. He knew that when the time was right, he’d name a wine after it. When Covid hit, the name took on a whole new meaning, and finally, he had a red blend perfectly poised to bear this moniker. High Hopes is a call for optimism, and the label imparts a sense of adventure and starting something new. Anyone who’s ever fly fished before knows you start the day with really high hopes of catching dinner. Hot air ballooners? Up that high, all you have is hope. This red blend is one that just seems to lift the spirits. The Van Loggerenberg wines are pretty darn good at that.
The grapes were harvested manually and brought into the cellar for destemming. Each variety was vinified separately. Fermentation occurred spontaneously with native yeasts, and after a two week maceration period, the wine was pressed off the skins. The Cinsaut and Grenache went to old French oak and the Syrah went to concrete for a 10 month aging period. The wines were then blended and bottled without fining or filtering, and with a small sulfur addition.