Nico Grobler is destined to make some of the greatest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in South Africa. A true artist, his wines get better with each release, expressing his vision with greater personality, nuance and power. His third release is particularly exciting – it’s an honest representation of the challenging 2023 vintage. It comprises the layered and cashmere-coated La Brune Chardonnay 2023 and the intriguing and characterful La Brune Pinot Noir 2023.
The La Brune Chardonnay 2023 brings to the fore Nico’s belief that Chardonnay is the greatest white grape. The variety isn’t about aromatics and obvious fruit, but about the multi-layered complexity that we see in the 2023 release. Delicious and deeply satisfying with crystalline fruit purity, give it a year to settle.
The La Brune Pinot Noir 2023 is a personality all on its own and will bring great pleasure to wine lovers. It shows off the scars of a difficult vintage, resulting in a wonderfully clear expression of the vineyard. Lifted aromatics continue to evolve in the glass, dancing over a chalky, precise and structured palate.
Both wines remain super limited.
Pinot Noir 2023
R 580
Chardonnay 2023
R 530
The La Brune Chardonnay is 50% destemmed and 50% whole-bunch pressed, allowing natural fermentation, and raised for 12 months in 228-litre ‘untoasted’ barrels’. The wine sees 30% new oak, the rest second and third fill. The 2023 vintage was produced from two vineyards in Elgin and is a blend of clones CY95 (60%) and CY548 (40%).
The La Brune Pinot Noir is from a 10 000-vine-per-hectare single vineyard planted to five different clones. 2023 is a blend of 50% PN115, 35% PN113 and a dash of PN459, and the soil is ferricrete with a bit of clay. There is 80% whole bunch – up significantly from previous vintages to add tannic grip. ‘This is the vintage where I learned so much – a game changer,’ says Nico, commenting that is was the most challenging since he started making wine in 2005. The wine spends 12 months in 228-litre ‘untoasted’ barrels. As with the Chardonnay, the oak is from the Pierre du Bourgogne forest and barrels are custom-made for La Brune.
Tasting Notes:
This vintage hasn’t been rated yet; please see tasting notes for the previous vintage below.
‘The 2022 Chardonnay is, for want of a better word, but one that is apposite, absolutely delicious. The very well-defined nose has white peach, French patisserie and light meringue aromas. The palate has a slightly waxy texture with good extract, slightly pithy, but it retains superb delineation and precision. I am intrigued to see how this ages in bottle, yet it is damn near impossible to resist reaching for that corkscrew.’ – Neal Martin, Vinous, 93/100
‘Nico Grobler has a great track record with Chardonnay so it’s no surprise that he’s continued where he left off at Eikendal in his new venture. Fermented in 30% new Burgundy barrels, this is nuanced, taut and focused, all lemon zest and wet stones with a toasty finish.’ – Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2023, 93/100
‘The 2022 as a vintage saw more light intensity – leading to better fruit concentration – and a slow ripening cycle. This multi-clonal blend makes up a wine with beautiful layers of lemon spritz, white blossom, elegant toast and white stone fruit, leading to a textured, complex, almost Meursault-like blanched almond mid-palate; with a salty, preserved lemon end. There is no fat here, but rather an understated sense of elegant power. The finish is bone dry, mineral, and fresh.’ – James Pietersen, April 2023
This vintage hasn’t been rated yet; please see tasting notes for the previous vintage below.
‘Taking its place among the elite of Elgin Pinot Noirs, La Brune’s flagship bottling uses a mixture of the 113, 115 and 777 clones and 50% whole bunch fermentation. Aged in 40% larger oak, it’s a beautifully scented, enticing red, with rose petal and ginger spice aromas, detailed tobacco leaf tannins, lots of energy and tension and a palate of sweet pomegranate, hibiscus and wild strawberry.’ – Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2023, 95/100
‘This is a Pinot Noir that has a Burgundian heart. It starts off with an incredibly pure, seductive nose. Rose petals, florals, good intensity, shy cherry and tea leaf give way to a precise palate that’s slow to unfurl, adding dark fruit weight. The palate continues with a great sense of purpose and has good tannic heft that adds extra definition to the dark-spiced and tea-laced fruit.’ – James Pietersen, April 2023
