The 3.59ha Le Vallon boutique wine farm in Franschhoek valley is for sale through Pam Golding Properties at R15.9 million.
A boutique wine farm is for sale in the Franschhoek valley, offering buyers the opportunity to live a peaceful rural lifestyle in a magnificent location.
The 3.59ha Le Vallon farm, (French for ‘the valley’), is less than a kilometre from the Huguenot Memorial. The farm was originally part of La Motte, one of the oldest and most famous wine estates in the valley. Its boutique offspring is now for sale through Pam Golding Properties at R15.9 million.
Le Vallon can trace its roots back to the very early days of Franschhoek, in the late 1600s. Originally known as Olifantshoek, the farm was granted to one Jean Jourdaan in the latter part of the century. He changed the name to La Motte, but never lived to receive the title deeds.
Records show that the 72ha farm was then granted to the Huguenot Jarques Malan in 1684 by Cape governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel, with the proviso that he replaced any trees he felled and granted 10% of his annual crop to the Dutch East India Company. The farm was planted to fruit including vines, pears and apples, but the valley remained wild, with elephants and leopards as regular visitors.
Despite this intimidating setting, by the early 1700s Malan had turned the farm into a profitable business, and went on to buy an additional farm, the acclaimed Morgenster, for his retirement. Although he handed La Motte over to his stepson, it was later sold out of the family. In the 1850s, the farm was subdivided between four brothers. Some of these portions were later consolidated into a 47ha farm which came to be known as Bo La Motte. This farm in turn was later subdivided into five portions – one of which is now Le Vallon.
PGP’s area manager for Franschhoek, Surina du Toit, says the farm is in a superb location, close enough to the village to be a 10 minute walk from shops and restaurants, yet far enough away to offer a quiet country ambience.
“This is the ideal ‘lifestyle’ farm,” she says, “small enough to manage, yet large enough to have a real feel of rural peace; private, but not isolated. It has lovely views and fertile soil, with ample water supply via its own borehole plus a supply agreement with the main Bo la Motte farm.”
PGP’s MD for the Boland and Overberg regions, Annien Borg, says the farm has 2.5ha planted to grapes, including Semillon, Merlot and Pinot Noir cultivars. A further 0.7ha is dedicated to plum orchards and a young olive grove. The plum crop is sold to a neighbouring farm, and there is potential to explore an agreement with a neighbouring winery to produce wine for Le Vallon under its own label.
The farm’s Cape vernacular main residence has four bedrooms and three bathrooms, as well as spacious living areas with fireplaces. The kitchen has a walk-in pantry and a separate scullery. Other features include French windows, air-conditioning and an established garden with a swimming pool and a rose arbour. There is also a loft upstairs, currently used as an artist’s studio, which could be easily converted into additional bedrooms.
The farm also has a recently-converted three-bedroom guest cottage, a one-bedroom studio flatlet, a double stable and a horse paddock, garaging for three vehicles and a large storage shed.
Call Doug Gurr on 072 610 7208, Dionne Gurr on 072 460 2586 or Shelly Schoeman 083 301 8833.