Harvest
Picked by hand before dawn, in small crates, so not a single berry splits before the press.
Since 1971
Three families, one stubborn idea: that a valley at the foot of the Franschhoek mountains could make sparkling wine as patient as any in the world.
Every bottle of Clos Laurent rests on its lees for a minimum of thirty-six months in a cellar cut into granite. We riddle by hand, we disgorge by hand, and we release a vintage only when it is ready, not when the calendar says so.
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The Signature
'71 Brut
Chardonnay 60% · Pinot Noir 40% · 36 months on the lees
- 01
Colour
Pale straw with green light at the rim, the colour of the valley in early October.
- 02
Mousse
A fine, persistent bead that rises in a single slow column.
- 03
Nose
White blossom, green apple and warm brioche, with a thread of fynbos honey.
- 04
Palate
Taut and creamy at once. Citrus, almond and a long, saline finish.
The Method
From vine
to bottle.
I / V
Pressing
Only the first, gentlest pressing, the cuvée, becomes Clos Laurent.
Bâtonnage
Part of the base wine rests in old French oak, stirred weekly for texture.
Riddling
An eighth of a turn, every day, by the same two hands, for six weeks.
Time
Three years at the least in the granite cellar. Our Prestige rests for seven.
Zero dosage
'71 Nature. Nothing added, nothing hidden.
A Blanc de Blancs from our highest Chardonnay block, finished without a gram of sugar. Mineral, bright and absolutely honest, it is the wine our cellar team drinks on Fridays.
Reserve the 2019 release
The Estate
Come for a glass. Stay for the valley.
- 01
The Granite Cellar
A guided walk through the riddling halls, ending with four vintages side by side.
- 02
Harvest Lunch
Long tables between the vines, February to April, cooked over vine cuttings.
- 03
Riddling Masterclass
Turn your own bottle, disgorge it yourself and take it home with your name on the label.
- 04
Sunset on the Terrace
'71 Brut by the glass and oysters from Saldanha as the mountains turn rose.
Visit