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There are a few wine farms that are simply magical. For me, La Motte in Franschhoek is one of those.

Before we deep dive into our experience at this wonderful wine estate, let’s take a quick look at some of the experiences La Motte has to offer.

la motte wine estate franschhoek wine bearer sculpture by toby megaw

The “Wine Bearer” sculpture by Toby Megaw is a central feature of the La Motte estate.

La Motte Art: Exploring Sculptures

La Motte not only makes fantastic wine but the sculptures at the estate tug at my heartstrings each and every time I visit.

From the majestic four-metre-tall Wine Bearer (who welcomes you as you enter La Motte) and The Kiss (depicting the love between a mother and her daughter) to the vibrant Blushing Bride, amongst many others, these works of art move me beyond words.

la motte wine estate franschhoek blushing bride sculpture by toby megaw

“Blushing Bride” sculpture by Toby Megaw.

But while art is a central estate feature and one definitely worth exploring, that’s not all.

Things To Do And Explore At The La Motte Wine Estate

There is so much more to do at La Motte.

la motte wine estate franschhoek sustainable vineyards

You can learn so much about wine simply by walking around the La Motte vineyard.

Here’s a quick overview of the estate highlights:

  • Bakery & Garden Cafe: Enjoy breakfast, brunch, or lunch, or simply visit for a casual coffee or afternoon drinks. The daytime cafe has indoor and outdoor seating available, and guests can explore the La Motte gardens with ancient oaks, lawns, a pond, and a farm-yard-inspired playground for the little ones. Guests can also buy loaves of bread and patisserie to take home.
  • Farm shop: The La Motte farm shop sells a range of deli and homeware goods but is currently closed for renovations. The shop is expected to re-open in 2024.
  • Hiking trail: Adventurers can enjoy the La Motte self-guided hiking trail and explore a wealth of fauna and flora, protea gardens, sustainably-farmed vineyards, wildlife, and views of the Franschhoek Valley. The circular hiking trail stretches about 6 km and starts at the La Motte Tasting Room.
  • JAN Franschhoek: Guests can enjoy a seasonal tasting menu and wine pairing, served at a communal table and set in a charming historical cottage.
  • Museum: La Motte has always been associated with art, as is evident by the many sculptures, and the museum offers guests a chance to explore this connection further. The works of Jacob Hendrik Pierneef are featured in the museum, but there are also changing art exhibitions. The museum is currently closed for renovations and is expected to re-open in 2024.
  • Restaurant: We’ve dined at the La Motte restaurant in the past and have always had wonderful experiences. The restaurant is currently closed for renovations and is expected to re-open in 2024.
  • Sculpture walk: On the sculpture walk, guests can visit and learn more about 11 of the sculptures on the estate. Many of the sculptures are by South African artist Toby Megaw, but there are also a few other sculpturists in the mix.
  • Wine tasting: Enjoy an introduction to La Motte’s acclaimed wine portfolio in an elegant setting.

While we’ve experienced many of these elements in the past – like the museum, restaurant, and farm shop pre-closure – our most recent visit led us to try their fantastic wines in the tasting room.

la motte wine estate franschhoek the kiss sculpture by theo megaw

“The Kiss” sculpture depicts the love between mother and child.

The La Motte Tasting Room

Although I have tasted quite a few of the La Motte wines in the past (and enjoyed them immensely), this was my first time visiting the tasting room.

la motte wine estate franschhoek entrance to the tasting room

The entrance to the tasting room already promises to take you on a journey.

Turns out, it’s recently been refurbished and fully renovated. I can’t compare it to what it looked like before, but I can say that it’s a beautiful tasting room full of charm and character.

With a choice of seating at tables or comfy couches, you can see into the maturation cellar via large glass windows, enjoy original artworks by Pierneef, and, in winter, cosy up to a toasty fireplace. Perfection!

la motte wine estate franschhoek tasting room

The La Motte tasting room is elegant and comfortable.

La Motte prides itself on its well-informed ambassadors – and they aren’t exaggerating. We had the absolute pleasure of being taken on a wine-tasting journey with the incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic James.

The La Motte Wine Tasting

La Motte offers quite a few different tastings, ranging between R60 to R250 per person.

We were lucky enough to taste the entire La Motte wine selection, which we’ll walk you through below.

la motte wine estate franschhoek tasting room decor

The tasting room is full of little things to look at.

For simplicity, I’ll group the wines into their collections and not the order we tried them.

Also, for point of reference, I’ll add the estate cost per bottle to each wine tasted. You may find different prices in shops and/or if you order for delivery.

The La Motte Estate Collection

I’m a firm believer that all good things start with bubbles.

la motte wine estate franschhoek methode cap classique

Starting with a good MCC is always the way to go.

Luckily, we started our tasting with the MCC in the Estate Collection, along with some of the other Estate Collection wines.

  • 2018 La Motte Méthode Cap Classique Brut (R390 per bottle): This award-winning bottle of happiness consists of 95% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir from Franschhoek. You can certainly never go wrong with this oh-so-classy MCC.
  • 2020 La Motte Franschhoek Chardonnay (R159 per bottle): This is an interesting wine. With a definitive buttery smell, this wine does not taste wooded at all. It’s great for those who are unsure of those wooded Chards!
  •  2018 La Motte Franschhoek Syrah (R190 per bottle): Where most wines from La Motte contain grapes from other regions, this one only contains grapes from the Franschhoek area. I really enjoyed this complex red with hints of plum.

Estate collection MCCs and wines are presented as limited releases in the tasting.

la motte wine estate franschhoek estate collection chardonnay and classic collection sauvignon blanc

The Estate Collection Chardonnay and Classic Collection Sauvignon Blanc are two of the whites we tasted.

la motte wine estate franschhoek estate collection syrah and classic collection millennium red wines

The Classic Collection Millennium and Estate Collection Syrah are beautiful reds.

The La Motte Classic Collection

The La Motte Classic Collection consists of four beautiful wines.

  • 2022 La Motte Sauvignon Blanc (R94 per bottle): This is a perfect easy-drinking wine. Made with grapes from three regions, this fresh wine has grapefruit and gooseberry notes.
  • 2021 La Motte Rosé Vin de Joie (R99 per bottle): Pure joy. This light blush wine consists of 71% Grenache, 19% Mourvèdre, and 10% Syrah, and it reminds me of summer strawberries. I absolutely loved this pretty wine.
  • 2019 La Motte Millennium (R99 per bottle): A beautiful blend of 44% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, and 10% Malbec. An aromatic blend with notes of earth raspberry, this wine really is a winner!
  • 2019 La Motte Cabernet Sauvignon (R159 per bottle): A full-bodied wine rich in tannins, this is exactly what you’d hope for in a Cab Sav. Personally, I’m not a Cab Sav fan, but if you are, this is a great choice.

The Classic Collection is available as the standard wine-tasting selection.

la motte wine estate franschhoek pierneef sauvignon blanc and classic collection vin de joie rose

The Pierneef Sauvignon Blanc is a more complex wine, while the Classic Collection Rose Vin De Joie tastes of summer strawberries.

The La Motte Pierneef Collection

The Pierneef Collection pays tribute to the artworks of Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, which are featured throughout the estate.

There are two wines in this collection:

  • 2021 La Motte Pierneef Sauvignon Blanc (R159 per bottle): This is a more complex wine than the La Motte Sauvignon Blanc from the Classic Collection and is an absolute winner. With notes of green pepper and gooseberry, this wine is perfect for almost any occasion.
  • 2018 La Motte Pierneef Syrah Viognier (R299 per bottle): This is a beautiful blend of 95% Shiraz and 2% Viognier. With hints of mulberry and spice, this was another wine I really enjoyed.

Like with the other collections, different vintages of these wines are also available.

la motte wine estate franschhoek pierneef syrah viognier and classic collection cabernet sauvignon

The Pierneef Syrah Viognier and Classic Collection Cabernet Sauvignon are two of the reds we tasted.

The Grand Finale: The Hanneli R Collection

Last but certainly not least, we tasted the 2015 Hanneli R (R1,400 per bottle) – more specifically, we tasted bottle 511 of 3570.

This elegant red blends 58% Shiraz, 32% Grenache, and 10% Petit Syrah.

It really doesn’t get more perfect than this one.

la motte wine estate franschhoek hanneli r red blend wine

The Hanneli R red blend is a winning choice.

Other vintages of the Hanneli R are also available to purchase via La Motte’s online wine store.

Contact La Motte Franschhoek

While you can buy La Motte wines at a range of retailers (locally and internationally) and order online for delivery, we highly recommend visiting the estate.

There is so much to do and see, and it’s definitely worth a visit.

You’ll get all the details below.

La Motte Wine Estate

Address: La Motte Wine Estate, R45 Main Road, Franschhoek

Website: www.la-motte.com

Call: +27 21 876 8000

Email: info@la-motte.co.za

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I Love Foodies Thank Yous: As always, we loved our adventure at La Motte. James, our wonderful wine ambassador, spoiled us with his vast knowledge and love for wine, and we’ll be sure to ask for him the next time we visit. A huge thank you to James, the entire team at La Motte, and, of course, Danné from Hatch Communications for putting the entire day together and for ensuring that we could travel safely with Magnas Tours.

Written by Sabine Palfi
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Article Date: March 2023

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