Kleine Zalze Methode Cap Classique Vintage Brut 2010

2015 International Wine Challenge - Gold

The white grapes benefitted from the cooler nights in February and March and the red grapes were positively influenced by the sharp rise in the March temperature, producing good quality fruit with elegant flavours and soft tannins.

The slower growing season resulted in less stress on the vines whilst maintaining the desired balance between growth and fruit expression. Smaller berry development was encouraged by monitoring the moisture content in the soil ensuring that the canopy management kept the berries in the shade. The average cold night and day temperatures increased the fruit acidity and grape quality of the Chardonnay. On the Pinot Noir the cold October and November weather led to smaller berry sizes, loose bunches and a better fruit concentration.

A perfect vintage that will linger a little longer in which we experienced a late and relatively cold winter with average temperatures approximately 1.5° C cooler than the previous vintage. The harvest was approximately 2 weeks later due to the earlier rain and the cooler soil temperatures.

We used the traditional grape varietals, Chardonnay 60% and Pinot Noir 40%, handpicked in the cool of the early morning. Pressing whole bunch, separate parcels of each of the varietals were vinified in stainless steel tanks. At 12° Balling (114 g/l sugar) 15% of both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir finished fermenting in barrel until dry and blended back before stabilization. With secondary fermentation the wine fermented and matured for 36 months on the lees in the bottle. After rémuage (turning of the bottles) the 2009 Vintage Brut was disgorged and a dosage was added to residual level of 7.8g/l.