Family Reserve Chenin Blanc

Fresh seafood, grilled fish, roast chicken, creamy dishes or soft cheeses.

Selected old-bush-vine Chenin Blanc parcels from Stellenbosch, linked by the producer to the Old Vine Project and Certified Heritage Vineyards.

The wine spent a further nine months on the lees in the respective fermentation vessels and was bottled without fining or filtration.

The different grape parcels were harvested separately between 20 and 22° Balling, with a deliberate decision to pick at slightly lower sugar levels in order to retain freshness in the final wine. The grapes arrived at the winery early in the mornings, where they were crushed into holding tanks, and underwent skin contact for 12–18 hours prior to settling. After just one day of settling, the slightly turbid juice was racked off its gross lees into a stainless-steel tank and inoculated with selected slow-fermenting yeast strains. It was then gravity-fed into 400L French oak barrels, Italian terracotta amphorae, and concrete eggs for fermentation, with barrel-fermented wine making up 60% of the final blend. No new oak was used, to preserve the delicate flavours of Chenin Blanc.

Kleine Zalze wines are marked by a classical structure and complexity matched by a vibrant flavour intensity. Discernibly South African in style, they are refreshing, beautifully balanced and well-suited to food. Our wines are made according to traditional methods with minimal cellar intervention, but supported by modern equipment.