Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Chenin Blanc

Description

Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Chenin Blanc is 100% Chenin Blanc made from grapes harvested from low yield-bearing bush vines from the Helderberg region of coastal Stellenbosch.

Kleine Zalze is a family owned winery situated in the heart of the Cape Winelands and winemaking their can be traced back to 1695. However, when Kobus Basson and his family bought the property in 1996, there was a massive stride forward. In 1996 the estate was scientifically mapped to find the best terroir for different grape varieties and seventeen years of subsequent investment have seen Kleine Zalze become one of the most highly regarded wineries in South Africa.

The grapes for the Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Chenin Blanc are harvested from low-yielding bush vines from vineyards in the Helderberg and Stellenbosch Berg regions. Low altitudes and southwestern facing slopes provide an ideal growing climate. In addition, deep red and granite Scali soils resulted in superb water retention which led to a good deep root development and optimal moisture supply during the summer ripening period. The grapes undergo extended skin contact after crushing and prior to pressing. The juice is then fermented in stainless steel tanks. The wine is then transferred to a mix of oak barrels – 20% new, 40% second and 40% third fill – where fermentation is completed and the wine is left to age on the lees for 7 months.