This wine was made from grapes originating from vineyards in several areas of the Cape wine-lands — Franschhoek (25%), Stellenbosch (50%) and the Cape South Coast (25%).

Budding was visibly late, ascribed to a later winter and relatively cool climate until even the end of November. Summer remained cool, without heat-waves. As a result of these conditions, harvesting started between 10 and 14 days later than usual and only for the second time in 20 years did La Motte start harvesting as late as February.

Each vineyard grows in its own macro climate and different clones are represented. All the vineyards are trellised and managed to maintain a perfect balance between leaf coverage and yield. Thanks to the different terroirs, each area produces its own distinctive grapes, so grapes from each area make a unique contribution to the character of this wine.

Grapes were harvested at between 17 and 23 degrees Balling, to capture natural acids and produce fuller, riper flavours. The process was reductive, with cold fermentation (14 °C). After fermentation, the wine was left on the lees to enhance complexity. For further complexity, the wine was blended with 8% Semillon. The first batch of 100 000 cartons (6 x 750 ml) was bottled on 10 April 2021 for release as 2021 La Motte Sauvignon Blanc.

The wine has a green straw colour. There are ample Cape gooseberry and green apple flavours, supported by ripe lemon and tropical flavours such as pineapple and passion-fruit. Due to the cool season, acid is high. The acid is well balanced with body and residual sugar, and good concentration and intensity are promoted on the palate — refreshing, with a lingering presence in the after-taste.

Alcohol 12,5% Vol
Residual sugar 3 g/l
Total acid 7,3 g/l
pH 3,39