A long history
La Bri was one of the first of nine farms allocated to the Huguenots who found refuge at the Cape in 1688. The name ‘La Bri’ probably comes from the French ‘l'abri’ meaning ‘the refuge’, a perfect name for this estate nestled in the imposing amphitheatre of the Franschhoek Valley. .

 

Originally the farm belonged to Jacob de Villiers, but in 1694 his son Jacques settled on the farm. He became a very successful farmer and later bought Boschendal from his brother Abraham. In 1712, Jacques obtained ownership of La Bri and over time the farm was divided into three parts, two of which were developed into farms.

 

In 1744, Pieter Eduard Haumann bought the farm, now called La Bri, after several owners had come and gone.

The manor house was probably built at this time and extended to its current H-shape in 1862. It still has a severe gable with straight sides, typical of the last phase of Cape Dutch architecture. The name of the farm was later changed to Keurvlei. When Michael Trull bought the farm in the mid-1980s, he renamed it La Bri. In 1997, Robin Hamilton bought the farm. At that time, the Franschhoek Co-operative was already producing wines from La Bri grapes. Gradually, new vineyards were planted, 

 

Passion and own style
Irene de Fleuriot has been the manager and winemaker of the estate since 2006 and is passionate about creating wines with an unmistakable style. In 2007, a new wine cellar was built, which works almost exclusively with gravity, i.e. pumping from tank to tank is largely avoided. The labels have been redesigned. The eye-catching labels feature indigenous Cape flowers and herbs, alluding to the symbiotic relationship between wine and fynbos that is so evident in the Cape region. She never lets anything out of her sight at La Bri and is the first and last person on the estate during the harvest. Trained as a teacher, she studied and practised viticulture and oenology in Australia and Stellenbosch before coming to La Bri after many years with Graham Beck, from where she also brought her passion for MCC. She also has a great love for Chardonnay and Shiraz, which is produced in co-fermentation with Viognier. The Bordaux varieties Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are also very important to her and can be found not only as single varietals, but also in the Bordaux cuvée Affinity. The culture of the winery is characterised by the inclusion of all those involved, so all employees of the Tasingroom also take part in the tastings and blends of the winemaking team and pass this knowledge on to visitors.

Following the death of Robin Hamilton, Mr and Mrs von Kuenheim bought the La Bri winery in June 2022.