Kleine Zalze Wines’ pursuit of complexity and depth in their Sauvignon Blanc, achieved through a unique process involving barrel and amphora maturation, combined with carefully selected grapes from cool-climate sites, has resulted in the prestigious recognition of landing a top 10 spot in this year’s annual FNB Sauvignon BlancSA Top 10 competition. The Kleine Zalze Family Reserve 2022 has been honored with a Sauvignon BlancSA Top 10 award in this highly regarded competition, which featured entries from 169 wineries dedicated to South Africa’s premier single varietal white wine grape.
RJ Botha, the cellarmaster at Kleine Zalze and chairperson of Sauvignon BlancSA, the representative body for South African Sauvignon Blanc producers, emphasizes that the recognition of the Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2022, which underwent maturation in wood and clay amphorae, underscores the growing trend of wines with enhanced complexity and a broader range of flavors earning appreciation from both wine judges and consumers.
“Traditionally, the appeal of Sauvignon Blanc wines from New World producers, such as New Zealand, Chile, and South Africa, was centered around unwooded Sauvignon Blancs, celebrated for their fresh, zesty profiles and expressions of tropical fruit and cut grass characteristics,” states Botha. “However, this represents just one facet of Sauvignon Blanc’s potential. An increasing number of producers, including Kleine Zalze, are committed to unlocking the full potential of the Sauvignon Blanc grape. This involves techniques such as skin-contact at harvest and the maturation of the wine in oak barrels and amphorae, allowing the grape’s complete potential to shine through, delivering depth, complexity, and a distinctive texture.”
The Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2022 is crafted from grapes grown in Durbanville and Darling. The winemaking process involves exposing 50% of the post-harvest juice to 12 hours of skin contact to extract structure and nuance. The remaining half of the grapes is whole-bunch pressed to ensure exceptional purity of juice. The portion of juice that underwent skin contact is fermented in stainless steel tanks, while the whole-bunch portion is fermented in new 400-liter French oak barrels and Italian terracotta amphorae. The wine then matures for six months on the lees in barrels and amphorae before being blended and bottled.
“This approach allows the Sauvignon Blanc variety to reveal its remarkable elegance and sophistication, demonstrating that this grape is not only capable of producing one of the world’s most beloved white wines but can also embody the sophistication and complexity that positions Sauvignon Blanc alongside the great white wines from any international region,” remarks Botha. “I am truly thrilled that Sauvignon BlancSA Top 10 is acknowledging the dedication of Kleine Zalze and other producers to wood and amphora styles, marking the advent of a new chapter for South Africa’s most popular white wine.”
