Kleine Zalze Project Z Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Unusual intense blackcurrant and fynbos undertones on the nose. Clean and flinty on the initial palate followed by generous texture and mineral length.


variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 100% Sauvignon Blanc ]
winemaker : RJ Botha
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 12.5 % vol  rs : 1.8 g/l  pH : 3.15  ta : 7.3 g/l  
type : White  
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Cork  

AWARDS
2022 Tim Atkin SA Special Report - 93 points

Nature knows no boundaries and wine, as one of the most revered of nature’s offerings, does not have limits either. With Project Z, the team of winemakers at Kleine Zalze had free reign to interact with nature, to search for the ultimate expression from a vineyard and to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation in order to keep growing and evolving.

The “project” originated back in 2013 from discussion between owner, Kobus Basson and the winemaking team. From their discussions, the “project” grew and today the cornerstones of the Project Z wines are a selection of vineyards on extraordinary sites and an impressive collection of Italian amphorae that were steadily acquired since 2015. And of course, a dedicated, committed, and skillful team.

The first wine was bottled in 2017 and by 2020 a unique range of signature wines were ready for release. Dressing the bottles was the only missing component. With the packaging we wanted to follow through on the journey of discovery and allow the winemaking team to own the full process of creation.

With the guidance and expertise of Theo Paul Voster, renowned artist, each winemaker created a visual expression of hidden elements of nature that inspire them. The very first linocut print of each artwork was used to create the labels for the wine, completing the full circle of the creative process. The result is an eclectic collection of exceptional and individual wines.

in the vineyard : The fruit for this wine is from a sea-facing block of Sauvignon Blanc in the Faure area. One corner of the block is particularly shale-rich, and it is the grapes from just this corner that was used to create this unique Sauvignon blanc.

in the cellar : The grapes were picked very early in the morning and whole bunch pressed. Special care was taken to keep the juice and the wine in an environment free from oxygen to preserve the delicate fruit aromas. The juice was transferred to an amphora for fermentation and left on the lees to spend a further six months maturing on the lees in the amphora. The wine was bottled straight from the amphora, unfiltered and not fined.

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