Kleine Zalze Project Z Chenin Blanc, WO Stellenbosch

Kleine Zalze Project Z Chenin Blanc is a South African white wine made from grapes sourced from the Stellenbosch wine growing region. Kleine Zalze’s Project Z range of wines is a that allows the estate’s winemakers free reign to interact with nature, to search for the ultimate expression from a vineyard and to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation in order to keep growing and evolving. As well as this superb Grenache, there is also a Project Z Chenin Blanc, Chenin Blanc Skin Contact, Syrah and Sweet Fortified wine.

About Kleine Zalze Wines

Kleine Zalze is a a South African winery situated in the heart of the Cape Winelands and the history of winemaking there can be traced back as far as 1695. However, the modern history of the estate began when Kobus Basson and his family bought the property in 1996, and there was a large stride forward. In 1996 the estate was scientifically mapped to find the best terroir for different grape varieties and seventeen years of subsequent investment have seen Kleine Zalze become one of the most highly regarded wineries in South Africa. In September 2022 ownership passed to French-owned AdVini, a world-renowned French wine company, thereby beginning a new chapter for Kleine Zalze Wines.

A Multitude of Awards

The winery achieved new heights in 2020 by being named Top Performing Winery of the Year by Platter’s South African Wine Guide, which is the South African bible. More recently, Kleine Zalze won four Double Golds and the Best Achiever award at the highly acclaimed Veritas Awards 2022.

Kleine Zalze Project Z Chenin Blanc Winemaking

The grapes for Kleine Zalze Project Z Chenin Blanc 2018 were sourced from a vineyard over four decades old in the Firgrove region of Stellenbosch. Growing on clay and decomposed granite and subjected to the maritime airflow off the Atlantic Ocean at False Bay, the vineyard was selected for its ability to grow grapes offering a superior expression of the site’s unique geography. After harvest the grapes have overnight skin contact, and are then fermented and aged for 10 months on lees in amphora.

There were just 426 bottles of the 2018 vintage produced.