Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Old Bush Vine Chenin Blanc 2024
Only the finest Chenin Blanc parcels are selected for this wine. The emphasis is on components that may not display overt fruit intensity, but rather offer precision, layered structure, and excellent potential for ageing.
The nose reveals white peach complemented by subtle notes of citrus pith. On the palate, the wine shows understated power, a pronounced mineral finish, and a delicate floral nuance that lingers.
variety : Chenin Blanc [ 100% Chenin Blanc ]
winemaker : RJ Botha
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 13 % vol rs : 5.8 g/l pH : 3.22 ta : 7.0 g/l
type : White style : Dry body : Full taste : Fruity wooded
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork
ageing : Approachable in its youth yet structured for longevity, carefully cellar for up to 15 years under optimal storage conditions.
in the vineyard : The Family Reserve Chenin Blanc 2024 was crafted from vineyards across different wards in Stellenbosch, where vines grow predominantly on decomposed granite soils, each contributing to the wine’s complexity. As with the two preceding vintages, the 2024 is certified as originating from Heritage Vineyards, which consist mainly of bush vines. The canopies were suckered and tipped to maintain a cool microclimate around the bunches, preventing direct sun exposure and avoiding botrytis.
Excellent winter rainfall in 2023 was followed by an extremely dry summer and accompanied by strong winds during flowering. This significantly affected fruit set in earlier cultivars such as Old Vine Chenin Blanc, resulting in lower yields. In addition, the unusually hot and dry conditions desiccated the topsoil to such an extent that the grapes ripened up to 14 days earlier than usual. The season was characterised by smaller bunches and berries, promising wines of remarkable flavour concentration
about the harvest: The different grape parcels were harvested separately between 20 and 22° Balling, with a deliberate decision to pick at slightly lower sugar levels in order to retain freshness in the final wine.
in the cellar : The grapes arrived at the winery early in the mornings, where they were crushed into holding tanks, and underwent skin contact for 12–18 hours prior to settling. After just one day of settling, the slightly turbid juice was racked off its gross lees into a stainless-steel tank and inoculated with selected slow-fermenting yeast strains. It was then gravity-fed into 400 L French oak barrels, Italian terracotta amphorae, and concrete eggs for fermentation, with barrel-fermented wine making up 50% of the final blend. No new oak was used, to preserve the delicate flavours of Chenin Blanc. The wine spent a further nine months on the lees in the respective fermentation vessels and was bottled without fining or filtration.
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