Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2025
R170,00
Flavours of melon, white peach and almond blossom and a hint of minerality that adds to the elegance of the wine. Masterfully oaked, this wine is textured and creamy on the mid-palate with a lively, crisp finish. This wine can be enjoyed now, but with careful cellaring it should age gracefully over the next 10 years.
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Specifications
In the cellar
The grapes were handpicked early in the morning and immediately crushed into holding tanks. We gave extended (24hours) skin contact to extract all the Chenin flavours to ensure good structure in the final wine with a very small portion “whole bunch” pressed. Only the free run juice was used and settled for 1 day before inoculation with selected slow-fermenting yeast strains. The juice was racked into Frenck oak barrels for fermentation that typically lasts one to two months. No new barrels were used to ensure that the essence and purity of the Heritage Certified fruit take center stage. After fermentation the wine was aged on the primary lees for another 7 months before being racked out and prepared for bottling.
In the vineyard
The grapes for this wine comes from selected “Bush Vine” vineyards in Stellenbosch. The average age of these vines are 35 years and are planted on predominantly decomposed granite soils. Owing to the nature of bush vines, careful canopy management was exercised so that no bunches were exposed to excessive sunlight and to ensure even ripening of the grapes. Abundant winter rainfall in 2024 laid the groundwork for the growing season ahead, with a largely
dry and moderate spring promoting even fruit set, which seemingly helped Chenin Blanc rebound from the lower tonnage of the two preceding vintages. Summer started dry and mild, lowering disease pressure and as the season progressed to February, the warm, dry days with cool evenings provided the grapes with the best ripening conditions in almost a decade.
Ageing
7 months
Cultivar
100% Chenin Blanc
