Winemaker Notes
An exciting cherry color. Raspberry and blueberry, with a smoky undertone on the nose. A mouth of red apple, cracked pepper, earth and diffused powdery tannins. Your new affable friend that opens up to reveal its intriguing complexity.
Blend: 100% Cinsault
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Lubanzi 2025 Swartland Cinsault shows gentle texture with a slightly grainy finish and vibrant energy from 20% carbonic maceration. The remaining fruit is destemmed with 20% whole-bunch inclusion, fermented with twice-daily pump-overs and pressed by gravity. Sourced from a 15-hectare vineyard also used for the rosé and sparkling wines, this site has long supplied fruit historically planted for volume under the KWV system (the cooperative structure that dominated South African wine production for most of the 20th century), yet now yields wines of surprising character. The partial carbonic approach adds lift and pop to the mouthfeel, giving the wine charm and approachability.
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James Suckling
Red cherries, strawberries and hints of bubble gum on the nose, followed by a fruity, ripe and medium-bodied palate. Juicy and primary, with good concentration. Sustainable.
Born in Cape Town and named for a wandering dog who led two young travelers backpacking across South Africa's Wild Coast, Lubanzi is a true start-up, sustainable, and socially-conscious wine co. that focuses on crafting fairly produced wines that punch above their weight and create a difference in the lives of the laborers who work on South Africa's wine farms. Sourcing primarily from Fair for Life Fair Trade & Sustainably farming certified vineyards, giving back to a non-profit that works to improve life for those working on SA’s wine farms & becoming South Africa’s first certified B Corporation winery are all symbols of Lubanzi’s commitment to being a leader in social & environmental responsibility.
Lubanzi is the story of partnerships, of travels, of community, and of the path less traveled. They believe in making wines for adventurers and the rest of the pack, from where the mountain meets the ocean, helping you make a home in new places, and an adventure out of the ones we know by heart.
A charmer in the Southern Rhône Valley, Cinsault thrives in any hot and windy climate, and finds success in many other countries. It is a parent grape alongside Pinot Noir, of South Africa’s acclaimed red grape, Pinotage. Somm Secret—Given its relatively long history in California, Cinsualt is often “hidden” in the Zinfandel blends of Sonoma and Contra Costa Counties. Historically planted alongside Zinfandel (with Petite Sirah and Mourvedre) in the same vineyard, Cinsault is now an essential part of many “field blends.”
Literally meaning "the black land," Swartland takes its name from the endangered, indigenous "renosterbos" (translating to rhino bush), which used to be plentiful enough to turn the entire landscape a dark color certain during times of year. The district, attracting some of the most adventurous and least interventionist winemakers, excels in robust and full-bodied reds as well as quality fortified wines.