Stellenbosch, South Africa – Celebrated Stellenbosch producer Kleine Zalze has claimed one of the top honours at the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards 2025, winning the Trophy for Best Chardonnay with its Family Reserve Chardonnay 2024. This prestigious accolade was accompanied by 10 additional medals, including Double Gold for the Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020.
Now in its 29th year, the Michelangelo Awards is one of South Africa’s leading wine competitions, judged by a panel of international and local experts. Trophies are reserved for the highest-scoring wines in each class, while Double Gold requires a score of at least 93 points. The winners were announced this week at a gala dinner at the Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel.
“It is always gratifying to receive recognition at such high-level competitions,” says Carina Gous, Kleine Zalze General Manager. “But even more important to us is the consistency with which our wines are acknowledged, which reflects the quality we demand from both vineyard and cellar.”
The latest success follows a string of recent accolades: at the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge, Kleine Zalze’s Brut Rosé took home Double Gold and the Trophy for Best Rosé, while Tim Atkin MW’s South Africa Report 2025 awarded a dozen 90+ scores, including a standout 95 points for the Project Z Heritage White Blend 2023.
Cellarmaster RJ Botha attributes the Michelangelo Trophy to a rigorous focus on site selection and precision blending.
“For our Chardonnay, we selected components with elegant structure and depth rather than overt fruit, creating a wine that promises great ageability. Across all our wines, consistency is key—no award happens in isolation. Our success comes from sourcing grapes where each variety thrives best and farming them to our exacting standards.”
As Chardonnay is South Africa’s fourth-largest white grape variety, competition in the category is fierce, making the Trophy win particularly noteworthy. Alongside the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, other medal winners from Kleine Zalze included:
- Gold – Red Wines: Vineyard Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2022; Vineyard Selection Syrah 2022; Family Reserve Syrah 2021
- Gold – White Wines: Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2025; Vineyard Selection Chardonnay 2024; Cellar Selection Chenin Blanc 2025; Chenin Blanc 2025; Family Reserve Chenin Blanc 2023; Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2023
The wines are available directly from Kleine Zalze’s cellar door in Stellenbosch, where visitors can also dine at the acclaimed restaurant of veteran chef Nic van Wyk, as well as through leading retailers, restaurants, and the estate’s online store.
For more information, visit www.kleinezalze.co.za or call (021) 880 0717. Follow Kleine Zalze on Facebook, Instagram, and X, or join the Kleine Zalze Wine Club for exclusive member benefits.
