KLEINE ZALZE FAMILY RESERVE CHENIN BLANC 2023

Winemaker's Comments:

The Family Reserve Chenin Blanc 2023 was crafted from different wards in Stellenbosch where vines grow mainly on decomposed granite soils, each contributing to the complexity of the wine. 2023, as in 2022, is also certified as made from Heritage Vineyards, which are predominantly bush vines. The canopy of the bush vines was suckered and tipped to ensure a cool microclimate around the bunches with no direct sun and without botrytis. The run-up to the season was characterized by a warm and dry winter and spring, resulting in drier than usual soil conditions at the onset of the growing season. This resulted in earlier budbreak and flowering, and as such also promising an earlier than usual harvest.

VINIFICATION: 

The grapes were picked separately between 21 and 23°balling, reductively crushed and the resulting juice given 12 -18 hours skin contact prior to settling. After only 1 day of settling, the slightly turbid juice was racked off its gross lees to a stainlesssteel tank where it was inoculated with selected slow fermenting yeast strains . The juice was then gravity fed into 400L French oak barrels, Italian Terracotta Amphora and concrete eggs for fermentation, with 70% of the final blend made up of the barrelfermented component. No new oak was used to preserve the delicate flavours of Chenin Blanc. The wine spent an extra 8 months on the lees in the respective fermentation vessels, with no fining or filtration before bottling.

WINEMAKER’S NOTE:

Only the very best Chenin Blanc is selected for this wine. Focus is placed on blending components that are not necessarily obviously pungent and fruity, but rather those that are intensely and elegantly structured, promising fantastic ageability. White peach with bursts of citrus pith. Understated power with mineral finish on the palate and a delicate floral perfume. Enjoy now or age up to 15 years at optimum storage conditions.