Consistency is the recipe for success at family owned Stellenbosch wine producer, Kleine Zalze. And this consistency in quality since 2005 has led to Kleine Zalze’s Sauvignon Blanc Family Reserve 2010 winning the Regional Trophy at the 2011 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) for the best South African sauvignon blanc wine.
The DWWA was launched in 2004 and has become the world’s biggest global wine competition. Decanter’s reputation for using only the best judges was reaffirmed with 211 experts from 23 countries, including one fifth of the world’s Masters of Wine, gathering to taste 12 252 wines from 44 countries.
“We are delighted with this result,” says Kobus Basson, managing director of Kleine Zalze, and adds: “since 2005 when we launched the first Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, this wine has received 4 and 5 star ratings in Platter and Wine Magazine as well as gold or double gold medals at the recent Veritas awards. Sauvignon Blanc is always one of the most difficult varietals to make, and they always say that if a winemaker can make a good Sauvignon Blanc, he can really make wine! We are therefore especially proud of this acknowledgement of consistency for such a difficult varietal.”
Winemaker Johan Joubert also expressed his delight at this impressive achievement and added that this merely reaffirmed Kleine Zalze’s commitment to producing fine wines, wines made from the best available grapes. “This wine combines five different flavour profiles. The grapes were grown in five different terroirs – Stellenbosch, Durbanville, Darling, Elim and the West Coast. Only the best bunches from the various vineyard blocks, all situated in close proximity to the sea, were harvested separately at night to ensure optimal freshness.” A combination of scali, strong clay and sandy soils resulted in berries with green fig, pea and asparagus flavours.
“On arrival in the cellar, the grapes were destalked and left on the skins before the inoculation of selected yeast strains during cold fermentation. After each of the three tanks received three months of lees contact, the components were blended and left for another six months to ensure a good fruit integration from the different terroirs before bottling.”
Johan says the Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010 offers a balance of tropical, green pea and fig flavours backed by full floral and herbaceous undertones on the palate. This full-bodied wine shows a good balance of the characteristics of the five different terroirs and can easily age for another three years.
Kleine Zalze’s Family Reserve wines are wines of distinction and are only made in exceptional years when nature allows. First released in 2004, the range, which consists of a Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon, have won a host of awards since their release and are poured in some of the finest hotels and restaurants around the world.
The wine is available from Kleine Zalze’s Cellar Door at R120 including VAT. Please contact the farm on 021 880 0717 for more details or visit www.kleinezalze.co.za
