Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Chenin Blanc

Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Chenin Blanc is made from 100% Chenin Blanc grapes selected from exceptional quality single vineyards on the farm. It is Kleine Zalze’s flagship range which also includes a Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc.

Kleine Zalze History

Kleine Zalze Wines is a South African winery situated in the heart of the Cape Winelands and the history of winemaking there can be traced back as far as 1695. However, the modern history of the estate began when Kobus Basson and his family bought the property in 1996, and there was a large 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. In September 2022 ownership passed to French-owned AdVini, a world-renowned French wine company, thereby beginning a new chapter for Kleine Zalze Wines.

An Award-Winning Winery

The winery achieved new heights in 2020 by being named Top Performing Winery of the Year by Platter’s South African Wine Guide, which is the South African bible. More recently, Kleine Zalze won four Double Golds and the Best Achiever award at the highly acclaimed Veritas Awards 2022.

Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Chenin Blanc Winemaking

The grapes for the Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Chenin Blanc are sourced from three different wards and soils (Decomposed Granite, Oakleaf and Duplex) in Stellenbosch which each contributes different character and complexity to the wine. The vineyards are all over 40 years old and consist of unirrigated bush vines. The canopy of the bush vines is suckered and tipped to ensure a cool micro-climate around the grapes with no direct sun and without botrytis.

The grapes were picked separately between 22 and 24°balling, reductively crushed and the juice was given 12 -18 hours of skin contact before settling. After only 1 day of settling, we racked the cloudy juice (120ntu) to tank where it got inoculated with a selected wine yeast strain. The juice was then gravity-fed into 400l French oak barrels for fermentation. We only used 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill barrels to protect the delicate Chenin Blanc fruit. The wine spent an extra 8 months in barrel before the components were blended. There was no fining or filtration before bottling.

This wine is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.