Nico Grobler’s dedication in Elgin is paying off, producing the exquisite La Brune Chardonnay 2025 and the star of this release, the exceptional La Brune Pinot Noir 2025.
2025 is shaping up to be a thrilling vintage! Nico’s Chardonnay is Burgundian in texture and complexity. It has purity and crystalline fruit aplenty, with a linear, cashmere-coated palate. Youthful and layered, this is delicious.
La Brune’s 2025 Pinot Noir is the best we have tasted from Elgin. The colour is deep and striking with crushed roses, red cherry and brewed tea on the nose. Both haunting and aromatic, the wine has a salty finish with a pronounced chalky edge – drink over the next 5-8 years if you can resist.
The La Brune Chardonnay saw no malolactic fermentation and is produced from eight different vineyards, predominantly from clone 548 with 30% from clone 76. It was whole-bunch pressed, allowing natural fermentation, and was raised for 12 months in 228-litre ‘untoasted’ barrels’, 20% new and the rest second and third fill.
The La Brune Pinot Noir is from a high-density single vineyard (10 000 vines / hectare), planted to five different clones. 2025 is a blend of 65% PN113 and 35% PN115. The soil is ferricrete with a bit of clay, and there was no whole bunch in this vintage as none was required. It spent 12 months in 228-litre ‘untoasted’ barrels, 20% new. Importantly, the oak for both the Pinot and Chardonnay comes from the Pierre du Bourgogne forest, and barrels were custom made for La Brune.
These wines are limited and always will be. As this is a pre-release offer, they will be available for delivery and collection from Monday, 20 April.
Tasting Notes:
‘Grapes from Shannon Vineyards farmed by James Downes. Fermented and matured for 10 months in 228-litre barrels, 20% new. Flinty reduction, vanilla, cinnamon and some leesy complexity currently sit above subtle notes of citrus and apple. The palate is super-dense with driving acidity and an emphatically dry finish. No nonsense. Alc: 13.5%.’ – Christian Eedes, Winemag, 96/100
‘Own grapes from high-density plantings – 65% 113 and 35% 115. Tank fermented before nine months maturation in barrel, 20% new. Compelling aromatics of red and black cherry, orange, rose and violets, a subtle herbal note, earth and spice. The palate is dramatic – super-concentrated, big acidity, grippy tannins. Vinous – intensely flavoured but equally harmonious, rich without sacrificing definition. Alc: 13.5%’ – Christian Eedes, Winemag, 97/100
