Kleine Zalze is a Cape Winelands winery near Stellenbosch, with 120 hectares of estate vines and wines from Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage.
The producer
Kleine Zalze is a winery in the Cape Winelands near Stellenbosch, with 120 hectares of estate vines and additional fruit secured through long term contracts. Kobus Basson and his family built the modern estate after buying the property, renovating the cellar and replanting vineyards. The range includes Family Reserve Chenin Blanc, Vineyard Selection Cabernet Sauvignon and Cellar Selection Pinotage. Reduced yields shape the vineyard work, while Atlantic breezes reach the vines from the coast. RJ Botha leads farming and winemaking, with Carina Gous overseeing international business and marketing.
Known for
Cape Winelands Chenin Blanc and Pinotage
Notable facts
Kleine Zalze has 120 hectares of estate vines and supplements them with fruit from long term contracts.
Small scale winemaking on the property dates to 1695.
RJ Botha became cellarmaster in 2021 and leads farming and winemaking operations.
The story
The 1996 Rebuild
In 1996, Kobus Basson and his family purchased the property that became the modern Kleine Zalze. The work began in two places at once. They renovated the cellar and replanted the vineyards, linking the place where the fruit was grown to the place where it would be made into wine. A cellar renovation changes the working conditions for receiving and fermenting grapes, while replanting changes the vineyard's future harvests. The modern estate took shape through both projects, with new vineyard work alongside a renewed cellar.
From the atlas
Kleine Zalze
A Cape Winelands winery near Stellenbosch with Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage across Family Reserve, Vineyard Selection and Cellar Selection.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Place
Cape Winelands, about two miles from Stellenbosch
Estate vines
120 hectares
Fruit source
Estate vines plus long term contracts
Main grapes
Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage
Vineyard work
Extensive yield reduction
The Producer
Kobus Basson and his family built the modern Kleine Zalze through a cellar renovation and vineyard replanting after buying the property in 1996. Small scale winemaking on the property reaches back to 1695.
Carina Gous is managing director and oversees international business and marketing. RJ Botha became cellarmaster in 2021 and leads farming and winemaking with three winemakers and one viticulturist. Henning Retief has worked at Kleine Zalze since 2006 as viticulturist.
Place
Fresh ocean breezes reach the vineyards from the Atlantic coast, which lies 15 kilometres away. The vineyard team manages row direction, trellising, vine height and canopy shape and density, choices that affect the quality of the fruit.
Extensive yield reduction produces fruit driven wines with outstanding character and maturation potential. The coastal airflow and vineyard decisions meet in fruit intended to keep its shape as it develops.
Wines
Family Reserve Chenin Blanc 2023 belongs to the limited Family Reserve range, produced only in exceptional vintages and in limited quantities. Vineyard Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 is a Coastal Region red. Cellar Selection Pinotage 2024 is 100% Pinotage and matured for 12 months in second and third fill barrels.
The range therefore moves between a scarce Chenin Blanc bottling, a Cabernet Sauvignon with a regional address and a varietal Pinotage whose barrel ageing is stated precisely. Each bottle carries a different grape and range position.
In The Glass
The current Vineyard Selection Cabernet Sauvignon gives herbal aromatics first, followed by cassis and black cherry. Fine grained tannins and seamlessly integrated oak lend depth through the palate.
Cellar Selection Pinotage 2024 has lively acidity and fine tannins. The acidity keeps the wine fresh through the finish, while the tannins give the fruit a firm outline.
A Bottle To Understand It
Open Kleine Zalze Cellar Selection Pinotage 2024 first. It is a varietal red with dark cherry, plum, mulberry and mocha, followed by the fine tannins and lively acidity of the wine. The producer gives it up to five years of ageing, placing it between immediate fruit and short cellar development.
Final Word
Kleine Zalze is a Cape Winelands winery with Atlantic breezes, reduced yields and a range that brings Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage into distinct bottle styles.