La Motte, Franschhoek: Wine Estate Review

La Motte
Off the R45 (Franschhoek Main Road) | Map

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Tasting hours: Mon-Fri 9:00-16:30, Sat 10:00-15:00, Sun closed
Tasting fee: R15
Number of wines to taste: Seven
Reds? Yes
Whites? Yes
SA Blog recommends? It’s a decent back-up plan.

Contact
Tel: +27 (0) 21 876-3119, Fax: +27 (0) 21 876-3446
tasting@la-motte.co.za
https://www.la-motte.com

Directions: It’s quite simple to find La Motte: get to the R45 and Franschhoek either via the N2/Stellenbosch/Pniel route, or the N1/Paarl route. The La Motte turnoff is just outside Franschhoek, a left turn off the R45 as you approach the town.

Review
Crucially, La Motte is open for tasting on public holidays, when many other estates are closed. (It keeps weekday hours on public holidays.) At R15, its tasting fee is probably the highest in the Western Cape – excepting Groot Constantia’s – but this remains laughably cheap compared to those in the US and Europe.

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The seven wines to taste (three whites, four reds, usually) are laid out in elegant but impersonal fashion – once they’re poured, you’re on your own, guided through the noses, flavors and tannins with the aid of a few sheets of paper. The wines are decent but not exceptional – and the bottles are a touch overpriced.

La Motte’s tasting room is cavernous, but features a welcoming hearth, in front of which one could stand all day. All in all, this isn’t a “make a beeline” choice of a wine estate for visitors, but I wouldn’t exclude it from a day’s tasting in Franschhoek, and its pleasant grounds and well-stocked cellar are certainly better than nothing on a public holiday.