Vineyard Selection Chardonnay

This Chardonnay pairs excellently with fish and poultry dishes, especially those accompanied by rich sauces. It also complements Brie and fresh cheeses.

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 Chardonnay 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. The grapes were predominantly sourced from Stellenbosch with a small portion from Robertson. The Stellenbosch vineyards are planted in decomposed granite soils and provides structure and fruit to the wine whilst the Robertson portion is planted in limestone-based soils and provide texture and mineral elements.

The wine spent a total of 8 months in barrel before blending and bottling. A combination of 20% new and the rest second and third fill 400L French oak barrels were used.

The grapes were harvested between 21 - 23°balling and after crushing most of the juice was given extended skin contact for at least 12 hours before it was pressed. Only the free run portion of the juice was used for this selection. Certain portions were “whole bunch” pressed to ensure elegance and finesse. After 1 day of settling the juice was racked to a fermentation vessel where we inoculate with a slow fermenting yeast strain. The juice was racked into barrel 1 day after inoculation and left to ferment at low temperature until dry.

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.