Wine Dine and Play: La Motte

La Motte



Franschhoek, South Africa
Wonderful property and great Chardonnay 


It was my fifth day in country touring South Africa, and my second day dedicated to wine tasting, first in Constantia and now Stellenbosch. In Constantia, I did a self-driving tour as I went from vineyard to vineyard, and by the end of the day did not feel like doing anymore driving, so when it came to Stellenbosch, I got smart and hired a wine guide. For two main reasons, the guide would drive, a guide could get me into more wineries, and I could learn more about the region by discussing it with an expert. I hired Stephen Flesch owner of Gourmet Wine Tours of South Africa. I discovered Stephen after reading a book on South African tourism in the wine section and saw that he had been recommended in the book by Frommer’s. Therefore, for R 1,900.00 per person for a build your own style tour, Stephen picked me up in Cape Town and we were off, and the next Stellenbosch winery tasting was at La Motte.

 http://www.gourmetwinetours.co.za/


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Wine Dine and Play’s ratings for wine:
96 – 100
Extraordinary  
90 – 95
Outstanding 
80 – 89
above average    
70 – 79
below average                         
60 – 69
poor/appalling/ “Cac”
Review basics:
Wine, Dine, & Play’s Rating
91/100
Chardonnay 2011 – 4 stars
Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 – 4 stars
Pierneef 2013 – 5 stars                         
Awards
Eat Out DSTV Food Network Restaurant Awards - Top 20
Diners Club Wine list of the Year - Platinum Category Winner
South African Wine List of the Year - Three Flutes Winner
Wines Produced
Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Red Blends, &, Bordeaux Blend (aka Meritage)
White: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling (Méthode Cap Classique)

Grape Blends
Red: Grenache, Carignan, Cinsaut, Shiraz, Merlot blend
Bordeaux blend (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, & Malbec) and a
Shiraz Viognier blend
Current Vintage for 2014
Reds: 2009, 2010, 2011
Whites: 2010, 2011, & 2013
Region Map

 Stellenbosch, and Franschhoek 
 
Regulatory
ABV %
12.87, 13.7%, 14%
Barrel Types
French oak, (30% new and 70% older barrels)
Barrel Aging
14 months
 
South African wine Quality Standards:
Unlike some European countries, South Africa does not have any requirements for the process of making wines in a particular region—for instance, allowing only certain trellising methods or varietals. However, there are certain quality requirements.  For a wine to be labeled as a particular varietal or as coming from a particular region, estate, or vineyard, it must also not display any “unacceptable quality characteristics,” which means the wine may not be turbid, contain excess sediment or crystals, have faulty/insufficient color, or display undesirable flavor characteristics. Among the several characteristics listed as unacceptable, a wine may not be overly tannic, thin or watery, or oxidized. For a wine to be labeled as coming from a particular area, 100% of the grapes used to make the wine must have been grown there, and producers may only label their wines using officially-recognized geographic areas.  In addition to designating a particular geographic unit, region, district, or ward, a producer may also designate the wine as coming from a particular estate or may label it as a “single vineyard wine.”  However, to do so the producer must first register the area where the grapes were grown with the Wine and Spirit Board.  Single-vineyard wines must have been made from a single varietal that is produced in the area registered with the board, and the area registered may be no larger than 6 hectares.  Estate wines must be made entirely—including bottling—in the registered area where the grapes were grown.  Also, if a particular varietal—or “cultivar” as the law defines it—is listed on the bottle, at least 85% of the grapes used in making the wine must have been of that type. This same 85% rule applies to designating a particular vintage year.
                       

Cases Produced:                                          
Per Year:
                                                                                               
Sauvignon Blanc 2013

La Motte Millennium 2011
20,000 (6 x 750 ml)
Chardonnay 2011
5,000  (6 x 750 ml)
Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
10,000 (6 x 750 ml)
La Motte Pierneef 2013
7,500 (6 x 750 ml)
La Motte Pierneef Red blend 2010

                       
Price chart:
$ -                    Under $50.00 USD
$$ -                  Over   $50.00 USD
$$$ -                Over $100.00 USD
$$$$ -              Over $200.00 USD
$$$$$-             Over $400.00 USD
Bottle prices:

Wine Selction:
Currency:
Country:
Price Chart :
La Motte Millennium 2011 (750 ml)



R70.00
ZAR

$6.40
USD
$
£3.84
GBP
£
€4.65
EUR
¥39.14
CNY 
¥
Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (750 ml) 



R60.00
ZAR

$5.49
USD
$
£3.29
GBP
£
€3.99
EUR
¥33.55
CNY 
¥
Chardonnay 2011 (750 ml)



R104.00
ZAR

$9.51
USD
$
£5.70
GBP
£
€6.91
EUR
¥58.15
CNY 
¥¥
Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (750 ml)



R131.00
ZAR

$11.98
USD
$
£7.18
GBP
£
€8.71
EUR
¥73.25
CNY 
¥¥
La Motte Pierneef 2013 (750 ml)



R108.00
ZAR

$9.88
USD
$
£5.92
GBP
£
€7.18
EUR
¥60.39
CNY 
¥¥
La Motte Pierneef Red blend 2010 (750 ml)



R199.00
ZAR

$18.20
USD
$
£10.91
GBP
£
€13.23
EUR
¥111.28
CNY 
¥¥¥

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Cost of wine tasting in USD (p/p):
Signature Flight:
$4.00
Themed Tasting:
$20.00
Vineyard tour & tasting
$5.00

                                                                       
Scroll down below to the main review to read the tasting notes

From vineyards home page:
In 1695, a piece of land in the Franschhoek Valley was granted to German immigrant, Hans Hattingh. In 1709, the land was purchased by French Huguenot Pierre Joubert, who is believed to have named it after the village of his birth in Provence – La Motte d’Aigues. Viticulture on La Motte was established in 1752 with the planting of 4 000 vines by Huguenot descendant Gabriël du Toit.

In 1970, the farm was bought by Dr. Anton Rupert and a major development, restoration and conservation programme followed, which reinvented La Motte into a leading global wine producer and sought-after tourist destination. Vineyards have been progressively replanted with noble varieties, the latest viticultural practices have been introduced and a modern cellar has been built. Today, La Motte Wine Estate is operated under the guidance of owner Hanneli Rupert-Koegelenberg and her husband Hein Koegelenberg, Chief Executive Officer of the estate.

Main review:
Stephen Flesch of GourmetWine Tours of South Africa had picked me up in Cape Town, and we were now already entering our fifth wine tasting of the day at La Motte, and had already done tastings at Meerlust Winery, Ken Forrester, De Trafford Winery, which also produces Sijnn Wines, and Kleine Zalze Vineyards. We had officially left Stellenbosch and were entering into the Franschhoek Wine Region, where La Motte would be the first of two stops before dinner at The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français.

The La-Motte property was beautiful, overlooking the mountain ranges of Franschhoek, along with several properties on the Estate dating back to the 1700’s, including  a T-shaped Manor farmhouse, a Jonkershuis used originally as a stable, a cellar built in 1825, a water mill, cattle post, and Hugenoterus Cemetery, currently under restoration. The property also has a restaurant named Pierneef, after a South African artist (Jacob Hendrik Pierneef 1886 – 1957) whose creativity in portraying the beauty of the South African landscape is echoed in the restaurant’s offering of traditional cuisine with a modern interpretation. Finally the tasting room, two stories with private tasting areas, a bar, fireplace, sofa’s, and in the main tasting room, large tables for small or big groups to enjoy the wine and conversations around you. The best part is an unimpeded view of the working and maturation cellars through large glass panels.
Picture courtesy of La Motte
The winery employees several people labeled wine ambassadors who seat you, present the wine and Charcuterie menus, and go into detail about the wines that you will taste. As most tasting from the other vineyards in Stellenbosch and Constantia, you are given six wines, all listed below in the tasting notes section. The Chardonnay and Pierneef Shiraz Viognier blend were the best selections that I had. The Cabernet Sauvignon on the other hand, how can I saw politely…I do not know if I got a bad bottle, but it was not good at all! Maybe I should have brought it to the attention of the ambassadors, but to me considering that I love Cabernet, and visit Napa California on a regular basis to taste the latest years vintages from vineyards like Opus One, Stag’s Leap, and Hoopes, this cabernet tasting struck out on the do not like list.

Now because I was part of a tour, the tastings were included in the overall price for each winery that day. As an American visiting South Africa, the tastings in both Constantia and Stellenbosch were an experience within themselves, much different to the tastings in Napa and Sonoma, California. Most tastings in California, Washington State, New York, and Oregon starts at $25.00-$40.00, so when I found out the cost for the tastings in South Africa I was shocked. The average is $3.00-$6.00, La Motte being $4.00 (ZAR40.00)

This or these wines remind me of:
High marks of 91 out of 100 for the vineyard on their Chardonnay, and Shiraz blend, though as I mentioned the Cabernet was not good, and it did affect my overall rating for the vineyard, and they would have gotten a 94 or 95 if it were not for that experience. The Chardonnay was one of the best I had ever tasted, reminding me other iconic Chardonnays like Castello di Amorosa, and their reserve, Bien Nacido, and Pahlmeyer’s 2012 Chardonnay, both wineries being in Napa. Their Shiraz though a slight blending, had the same charecterists to me as a Constantia winery, Eagles Nest, and their “Little Eagle” Shiraz. Very good wines overall. The USA Distributor for La Motte wine is Kysela Pere Et Fils, LTD based out of Winchester, Virginia.  


 

Bouquet & Palette:

Wine & Grape:
Nose:
Palette Experience:
Intense gooseberry followed by green apple, winter melon and lemon on the nose makes this wine very friendly and approachable.
The natural acid is covered by the gentle, full and creamy palate. In spite of the low residual sugar, there is a mellow sweetness on the palate.
The nose of this wine reflects how it was made. Raspberry (Merlot), a slight herbaciousnous (Cabernet Franc) and English toffee (oak) are combined in a harmonious way.
The palate is juicy and rich and leaves a lingering dry, fresh finish. Best served with red meats, game, roasts and noble, matured cheese.
A low pH and good acid in the analyses were evident of a fresh wine with a firm structure. Low alcohol resulted in soft, integrated extraction of complementing wood flavors.
The result is a wine with tropical and citrus fruit flavors, with cashew nut in the background. Secondary traces of fermentation and wood are present, but it is a crisp and refreshing wine.
The wine reflects varietal aromas on the nose, with wild berries, tomato leaf, cedar, cinnamon spice, dark chocolate and prominent truffle
. The full-bodied palate has a firm structure, but a fine tannin texture and there is a pleasantly dry after-taste. Enjoyed best from 2013 until 2023
The wine is fruity, with gooseberry, passion fruit, ripe apple and hints of dry wild grass in the background.
While slightly less minerality than normal came from this vineyard, the wine has good intensity on the nose and a bigger body than in other years.
A blend of 88% Shiraz and 12% Viognier. The nose reflects raspberry and cranberry fruit with liquorice and green pepper spice. The splash of Viognier adds a rose-petal perfume.
Good color and tight, concentrated tannins are combined with spice, to produce a wine full of flavour and complexity.

Château or Vineyard Owner:
The Rupert Family
Hanneli Rupert-Koegelenberg


Viticulturist:
Pietie le Roux

Winemaker:
Edmund Terblanche

Tasting room address:          
R45 Main Rd
Franschhoek 7690
South Africa
http://goo.gl/maps/uijvg
 
Cross streets:
R45 & Happy Valley Road

33º 53′ 0.91″ S
19º 4′ 21.57″ E
Altitude 207
Contact Information:

Tasting room:
+27 21 876 8030
Winery:
+27 (0)21 876 8000
Fax:
+27 (0) 21 876 3446
Website:
Email:
Tasting Room:
Facebook Link               
https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Motte/108468159211982?ref=ts&fref=ts
https://twitter.com/LaMottewine


Hours of tastings:
Mon to Sat 09:00 – 17:00
Closed on Sundays and
Christian religious holidays
S. African Standard Time (GMT +2:00)




https://www.facebook.com/WineDineAndPlay



Review by:
Chef Sean Overpeck (CFE) in Franschhoek

Chef Sean cooks for soldiers in Afghanistan, 2012:



 
“I like cooking with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.”
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