Laborie
In the 17th century, the prosperous Taillefert family lived in the district of La Bri, in the Poitou-Charentes area of France. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, this French Huguenot family boarded the Dutch East India Company's ship Oosterland, bound for the Cape.
Laborie was granted to Isaac Taillefert in 1691, which he placed in his son Jean’s name. They set about clearing the bush and planting vines, which was no easy task.
Within seven years they were making a drinkable wine. In fact, it was the opinion of a Frenchman, Leguat, who visited the Cape in 1698, that their wine was “the best in the colony and similar to our small wines of Champagne”.
With their knowledge of French viticultural techniques the Taillefert family laid a solid foundation of vineyards and outstanding wine production that is evident today, 300 years later, in Laborie’s wines of distinction.
