Heritage Vineyards Old Vine Chenin Blanc

Shellfish, Spicy food, Lean fish, Mild and soft cheese

The grapes for this wine comes from selected “bush vine” vineyards scattered across the Western Cape of South Africa, from the Piekenierskloof in the west, to the heart of Stellenbosch where Kleine Zalze is based. 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 all across the Western Cape 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. As close to a perfect vintage as one can get, 2025 will be one to remember for years to come!

After fermentation the wine was aged on the primary lees for another 7 months before being prepared for bottling.

The grapes were handpicked early in the morning and immediately crushed into holding tanks. We gave extended (12hours) skin contact to extract all the Chenin flavours to ensure good structure in the final wine. Only the free run juice was used and settled for 1 day before transferring to a combination of stainless-steel tanks, and 400L French oak barrels. No new barrels were used to ensure that unique characters of the specific terroirs were preserved in the wine. The use of stainless steel for fermentation ensures freshness and purity of fruit, where the barrels build texture and enhance the fruity notes in the wine.

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.