FROM one of South Africa’s Top 20 wineries, one of the nation’s Top 10 expressions of Sauvignon Blanc, Top Wine SA Hall of Fame… Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sur Lie is consistently rated as among the Cape’s top quality, more interesting Sauvignon Blancs, and the 2017 vintage is no exception: a winner at the SA Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 competition plus a double gold medallist at the country’s Veritas Awards in 2017, and now judged gold medal standard at the international Concours Mondial du Sauvignon 2018 in Austria.

The cellar’s other particularly strong suit among the white wine varieties is Chenin Blanc, although they began their year on the world stage with victory at Chardonnay du Monde in Burgundy, France, with the 2017 Vineyard Selection.

Kleine Zalze has three ranges to choose from: the Family Reserve comprising the flagships, the Vineyard Selection, and the Cellar Selection that regularly features some of the best bargains on the supermarket shelves. It’s indicative of the the high standards across the portfolio that whites and reds from the middle and even the bottom tier are sometimes the flag-bearers for Kobus Basson’s outfit on the border of the Stellenbosch CBD with its lodge and applauded restaurant, Terroir. Although the winemaking team headed by Alastair Rimmer and RJ Botha draw their fruit from near and far, depending on the variety, it is the vineyards of Stellenbosch that typically play the pivotal role.

Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Sur Lie 2017
Grapes from Stellenbosch, Durbanville and Darling. Reductive handling. Slow, cool fermentation. Seven months on the lees. Minimal filtration. Alc 13.5, R/S 2.2, TA 6.6, pH 3.44.
Winemaker’s Note: “Herbaceous, with crisp layers of fruit. Intense palate with tropical and green elements… Will reward careful cellaring for the next five years.”
R194 a bottle ex-cellar.

Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Chardonnay 2017
Grapes from three blocks in Stellenbosch and one block in Robertson. Slow fermentation. Eight months in 400-litre barrels, 60% new. Alc 13.5, R/S 4.3, TA 6.5, pH 3.29.
Winemaker’s Note: “Pear and citrus flavours with hints of oak and roasted nuts. Silky mouthfeel with mineral edge.”
R101 a bottle at the cellar door.