La Motte Estate
Last Updated on Saturday, 19 May 2012 13:48 Written by Administrator Saturday, 19 May 2012 13:05
Cellar master, Edmund Terblanche
It is not often that we experience three consecutive days of more than 40 degrees and then have it repeated just a few days later! January had us running for the cool of the cellar with some Paarl vineyards reaching up to 46 degrees! Such temperatures cause leaves and berries to be literally scorched and at La Motte, it was the young vineyards with less leave cover that suffered most. Estimations was that the 2012 harvest would be 4% bigger than in 2011, but this was before the heat wave and we did notice a drop in volume - the yield of especially the dry-land vineyards of the Swartland region is up to 30% lower than in 2011. Half-way through harvest, Johan Vijoen of Vinpro estimated that the heat wave and drought meant up to a 7% decline in volume in the Paarl region. Despite the distressing facts and figures, the lower than average temperatures that followed in February ensured a long, healthy ripening period which is always good news – also for lower alcohol levels. June, August and November last year were also cooler than the long-term average with November being colder than the previous six years! Except for January’s heat, it seems that the season was actually quite cool.The season was also dry, but the resulting smaller berries can lead to exceptional flavours – something that is already clear from the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc’s. Drought also keeps the vines healthy and with the lower yields due to the cool and windy November, we are actually quite excited about the quality of the 2012 harvest. I am always surprised at the hardiness of a vine – it often tolerates extreme circumstances and still delivers a quality product – we often forget that they are really desert plants!
In all, we are very excited about the quality of the 2012 vintage and will be celebrating the harvest with offerings from the restaurant, museum and farm shop! With the new vintage in the cellar, we also have two new releases – the eagerly anticipated 2009 Pierneef Shiraz Viognier, as well as the 2010 vintage of the well-loved La Motte Millennium. With a coveted 5-Star Platter rating for the 2009 Pierneef Shiraz Viognier and a host of international awards, we are happy that the style and quality of La_Motte wines are regarded highly at an international level. As the South African Winner for 2012 Best of Wine Tourism, La Motte enjoys sharing its attributes with its visitors – our wines, history, culture, food, art and family values. While our passionate staff enjoys welcoming visitors to the estate, it is the unique art exhibitions of the La Motte Museum, the Cape Winelands Cuisine served in Pierneef à La Motte Restaurant, the beautiful views from the Hiking Trail, unique shopping from the Farm Shop and enjoying our wines while relaxing in the beautiful indigenous gardens (indigenous, except for the age-old oak trees, of course!) that make La Motte such a special tourist destination
