Wines from South Africa by La Brune

Wine estates with French names, orchards as far as the eye can see and whitewashed Cape Dutch houses - less than 70 kilometres from Cape Town and just 20 kilometres from the Atlantic coast lies the enchanting Elgin Valley. The water-rich area on a high plateau, well protected by mountain peaks, offers excellent conditions for the best wines in South Africa. The paradisiacal valley is home to the La Brune wine estate. Winemaker Nico Grobler did not choose the French name of his lifelong dream by chance. Whilst working on a vineyard in Burgundy, France, he fell in love with the white and red wines and rosés produced there. He also wanted to produce Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs of this quality in South Africa. Not far from Cape Town, he found the ideal conditions for his South African wines, which combine the best of two wine worlds.

A French wine dream in South Africa

The soul of the African home soil, combined with the French roots, characterise the taste of Nico Grobler's wines. No wonder: traditional Burgundian wine-making methods are used at La Brune. The wines from the Cape region are aged in oak barrels made from wood from the forests of Bourgogne, which Nico Grobler produces with his French colleague Bruno Lorenzon from Domaine Lorenzon in Mercurey, France. The grapes develop their unique flavour during the careful maturing process over 12 months. The winemaker's love for his South African homeland and faraway France characterises the quality of flavour of these South African wines.

Best boutique wine from a family business

The production of around 1,800 bottles per year makes the Chardonnay from La Brune one of the best white wines from the Cape Town region. Since 2011, Nico Grobler and his wife Christelle have also been producing exclusive Pinot Noir wines on their own land. Rosés are not yet part of the range. Small but fine - this is the maxim the couple follow wholeheartedly when producing their red and white wines. Their boutique winery near Cape Town should remain in the hands - and hearts - of the family. Both daughters are already learning their father's winemaking skills and wine philosophy from scratch so that they can continue to produce exclusive boutique wines in the distant future.