Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

Shellfish, Vegetarian, Goat cheese

The grapes were selected from vineyards in Stellenbosch (False Bay), Durbanville and Darling. The 2017 vintage surprised us all after a very dry winter and growing season. The days were moderate with cool evenings, perfect for Sauvignon Blanc. The canopies were opened up early December to ensure enough sunlight in the bunch zone.

The clean juice was racked to the fermentation vessel where we inoculate with selected yeast strains and ferment very slow at 13 degrees Celsius. The wine spent 7 months on primary lees before being bottled with only a very coarse filtration.

The grapes were handpicked early in the morning and in some cases even during the night. We handle Sauvignon Blanc very reductively from the start with dry ice in the vineyard through to the fermentation vessel. The grapes were crushed as soon as it arrived (before 10am) with a CO2 blanket and given at least 12 hours skin contact. This was to extract all the beautiful flavours nestled in the skins. The juice was racked from the skins with gravity and settled for 24 hours.

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.