Sometimes there are vintages that because of an ideal set of conditions deliver exceptional wines and sometimes one has the luxury of only producing or at least releasing wines from these special years. Most of the time however, the romantic image of wine production is also guided by commercial means and an established brand has to ensure sufficient stock levels and therefore release wine from every vintage.

Luckily, in South Africa, vintage fluctuations are not that extreme, but the challenge of the wine-making team, after the viticulturist has ensured the best possible quality grapes, is to produce a wine that best reflect its terroir, to make the fruit the hero of the wine and to with subtle wine-making techniques and technology, ensure a wine meets and ideally exceeds the expectations of both loyal customers and those newly introduced to the product.

To perfect this process with its wide set of variables vintage after vintage is no easy task and it takes careful consideration as to vineyard selection, blending, oak maturation, etc. to ensure consistency in quality and style.

It is therefore, that although delighted with extraordinary vintages, winemakers – and wine drinkers for that matter – puts a premium on consistency and for that same reason, La Motte celebrates the extraordinary performance of its premium Pierneef Collection Syrah Viognier.