L’Avenir wine estate in Stellenbosch descibes itself as ‘proudly South African with a touch of French flair’, which is a very fitting description.
I visited L’Avenir Country Lodge, which lies beneath the Simonsberg Mountains, in this picturesque wine valley in spring. The intimate lodge, with 11 rooms is set on a working wine estate and even if you don’t spend the night, the wine tasting comes highly recommended.
Looking towards the tasting area at L’Avenir. Image credit: Elise Kirsten
My husband and I arrived in the late afternoon and after a short tour of the grounds with Madelein Lambrecht, who’s worked at L’Avenir for 14 years and is a wellspring of information, we checked in at the 4-star lodge situated within rolling distance from the tasting area – if it so happens that you need to.
Our room was large and inviting with two sets of double doors with full-length glass, one opening onto the stoep beneath a vine and overlooking the lawn, and another opening onto a small courtyard with our own private plunge pool and a view of the vineyards and mountains beyond. Besides the large-screen TV and tea and coffee amenities and minibar, the room also had a writing desk, which I quite fancied and a tray displaying the estate’s wines.
Courtyard with private plunge pool. Image credit: Elise Kirsten
Not every room comes with its own pool however, the lodge has a gorgeous rim-flow pool overlooking the lakes, where guests can unwind.
As part of your stay you get a complimentary wine tasting and we chose the Single Block tasting, which features the premium L’Avenir wines. Once we’d settled in we strolled across to L’Avenir’s Cellardoor tasting area.
We sat outside at overlooking the lawn with its springbuck and rooster outdoor art (giving a nod towards the farm’s South African and French heritage – it’s owned by a company based in France) and dams beyond, the temperature perfectly pleasant in the late afternoon.
Wine tasting at Cellardoor at L’Avenir. Image credit: Elise Kirsten
For those who are peckish, Cellardoor serves sandwiches and cheese, meat and salmon and cheese boards, to enjoy alongside your wine.
First we tried the Rosé, which my husband found delightful. We followed this with the Chenin Blanc that I preferred to the Rosé. I am a fan of red wines over white, however I had no concept that I was about to be gobsmacked by the quality of the L’Avenir Pinotage.
This wine is L’Avenir’s flagship and ‘the pinnacle of modern, Stellenbosch Pinotage’. It was produced to honour L’Avenir’s former winemaker and a pioneer of Stellenbosch Pinotage, the late Francois Naudé. The current winemaker Dirk Cootzee has done a stellar job and this is, without doubt, the best Pino I’ve tasted and a fitting tribute to Naudé. My husband concurred.
On the palette you’ll taste fresh cherries and a subtle, sweet spiciness in this Pinotage. It’s well-rounded and lingers in the most delicious way that’s almost sure to make one walk away with a bottle or two.
Breakfast at L’Avenir overlooking the Lodge’s pool. Image credit: Stephen Kirsten
Our languorous afternoon ended with a game of boules at the nearby boules court. After I conceded defeat we headed back to our room to freshen up before a dinner of bobotie, for me, and steak and chips for my husband in the Country Lodge dining room. (Although L’Avenir Country Lodge does not have an restaurant, guests can pre-order meals to enjoy in the dining room at night if you prefer that to going out to a restaurant in and around Stellenbosch).
Wine tasting at L’Avenir
There are three options, namely:
Provenance tasting: choose five wines from the Futre Eternal and Provenance range. R60 per person.
Single Block Experience: Tasting of the limited release Single Block range. R120 per person.
Comparative tasting: A comparison of three different styles of Pinotage. R100 per person.
L’Avenir Country Lodge. Image credit: Elise Kirsten
L’Avenir Country Lodge
Things to do: Wine tasting, cellar tours, boules, bird watching and fishing.There are mountain biking and trail running trails through the vineyards and a cosy fireplace ideal for sipping Pinotage on winter afternoons. The pool is the ideal place to unwind with views over the dams and tree-lined lawns.
Prices: These prices are per night for two adults sharing, bed and breakfast included.
Classic room: R2,370 per room (high season, 1 October 2019 – 30 April 2020); R2,130 per room (1 May 2020 – 30 September 2020)
Platinum room: R2,875 per room (high season, 1 October 2019 – 30 April 2020); R2,410 (1 May 2020 – 30 September 2020)
Icon: R3,540 per room (high season, 1 October 2019 – 30 April 2020); R3,155 (1 May 2020 – 30 September 2020)
Contact: Email [email protected], tel 27218895001, lavenirestate.co.za
