Kleine Zalze
Kleine Zalze is an award-winning winery situated in the heart of the Cape Winelands, just two miles from Stellenbosch. Winemaking has taken place on the estate on a small scale since 1695 but it was in 1996, when Kobus Basson and his family purchased the property, that the modern Kleine Zalze was born.
Their philosophy is simple: success begins in the vineyards. Exceptional wines are made possible by selecting varieties and clones specifically suited to the various soils and slopes, and further careful management of the farm’s extensive natural assets.
This continuous attention to detail culminated in Kleine Zalze achieving new heights in 2020 and being named Top Performing Winery of the Year by Platter’s South African wine guide, arguably the most comprehensive guide to South African wine in the world.
More recently, Kleine Zalze won four Double Golds and the Best Achiever award at the highly acclaimed Veritas Awards 2022.
VINEYARD SELECTION: As the name suggests, the Vineyard Selection wines are all made from grapes from carefully selected and specially farmed vineyards that consistently deliver the style and quality that the winemaking team is aiming for in this range. This range offers wines with expressive flavours, complexity, structure, and cellaring potential. A great glass of wine to savour on its own or excellent partnered with food.
THE PROJECT Z STORY: Nature knows no boundaries and wine, as one of the most revered of nature’s offerings, does not have limits either. With Project Z, the team of winemakers at Kleine Zalze had 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.
The “project” originated back in 2013 from discussion between owner, Kobus Basson and the winemaking team. From their discussions, the “project” grew and today the cornerstones of the Project Z wines are a selection of vineyards on extraordinary sites and an impressive collection of Italian amphorae that were steadily acquired since 2015. And of course, a dedicated, committed, and skillful team.