Vineyard Selection Shiraz Mourvedre Viognier

Enjoy this wine with charcuterie or even umami-driven vegetarian dishes such as a mushroom ragout or ramen.

The grapes for this wine were sourced from selected parcels of fruit from across the Western Cape. The blend consists of 80% Shiraz, predominantly from the Stellenbosch region, 15% Mourvédre and 5% Viognier. The effect of the preceding three-year drought was still evident to us in the 2019 harvest, despite the higher rainfall during the season. This resulted in smaller crops over all for the 2018/2019 growing season. Irregular temperatures from winter to flowering led to some uneven ripening at the start of the season that was managed by removing any green or uneven bunches after véraison. The cool weather conditions towards the end of ripening constituted smaller berries, resulting in intensely flavoured, elegant wines.

After pressing, the wine underwent malolactic fermentation in tank before being transferred for maturation to a combination of older oak barrels for a period of 14 months. The Viognier component was pressed and cold fermented in tank. The wine was left to mature in tank on the yeast lees for 10 months to add complexity to the palate, after which it was blended with Shiraz and Mourvédre to complete the blend.

Each of the varietals were harvested and vinified separately, to ensure all the fruit reached the winery at its optimal ripeness. For the red component, the grapes were transferred to tank for fermentation after destemming but no crushing i.e., whole-berry fermentation. To preserve the freshness and elegance of this typical Rhone style blend the grapes were gently handled during fermentation and were only pumped-over twice a day.

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.