Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2012

International Wine and Spirits Competition 2013 - Silver: Outstanding
Michelangelo International Wine Awards of South African 2013 – Silver Medal
Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2013 - Bronze
Decanter World Wine Awards 2013 - Bronze

ageing : 

Ageing potential for another three years.

At Kleine Zalze the Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc blocks built up a history of consistency and blocks from Stellenbosch, Durbanville, Darling, Walker Bay and West Coast were selected. We recognize that each of the five different regions contributes to our unique style and only the best selection of grapes within the best block in each region were used.

These blocks are not more than 10 kilometers from the sea and were harvested during night and early morning to ensure optimal freshness and cultivar fruit. Stellenbosch and Durbanville Sauvignon Blanc grapes gave expressive structure and body with green fig and limey flavours. Darling, West Coast and Walker Bay fruit were handled separately with more dense canopies ensuring that the best asparagus, winter melon and bell pepper fruit in the berries were obtained. The day temperature of ripening were 1.5° C higher than the temperature of 2011 and managed by monitoring the water retention levels of the soils.

Picking started during night and stopped at 10h00 in the morning.

Our winemakers did the selection of the grapes and used reductive grape crushing methods when the grapes were destalked. The grapes were left on the skins and after racking the juice were inoculated with selected yeast strains (according from which region the grapes came from) and then cold fermented. With a slow fermentation the wine was fermented for 3 weeks and left on the lees. Each of the five tanks received a twelve month lees contact period. The components were blended and left for another one month to ensure a good fruit integration from the different regions before bottling.