Winemaker Notes
This Organic Shiraz showcases a deep violet color and a mix of dark spiced fruit aromas and flavors- blackberry, cherry, and plum stand out. It’s a medium-plus body with subtle hints of salinity on the finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Black fruit, cracked pepper and some barbecued meat on the nose. It’s meaty with a medium to full body, ripe tannins and a peppery finish. From organically grown grapes with Ecocert certification. Sustainable.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Lubanzi 2024 Organic Red is 100% Syrah sourced from a single vineyard in Paarl, marking its first fully organic release after the estate’s 2023 certification. Formerly known as the estate's "Red Bland" (made with 85% Syrah, Grenache Noir and Mourvèdre), the wine evolved once the vineyard achieved organic status. Fermented with partial whole-bunch fruit and left on the skins for four weeks before pressing to stainless steel, it sees no oak, preserving clarity and lift. The warm Paarl climate gives supple texture and soft tannins, yet the fruit profile leans more toward restrained red and blue fruits rather than dense black fruit. Paarl’s granite soils and hot inland conditions moderated by afternoon Cape winds shape an easy-drinking Syrah that is generous yet nicely composed on the finish.
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.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
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.