From left: Liezl Augustyn, quality control; winemakers Nataleé Botha, Hanri Ferreira, Carla van Wyk, and RJ Botha; and viticulturist Henning Retief. Photo: Maryke Roberts
The latest release of Kleine Zalze’s irreverent experimental Project Z wine range comprises five very different wines, all of which bear the unique traits of being sourced from distinctive vineyards, innovative cellar-techniques and labels designed by the Kleine Zalze wine-team themselves. Project Z was launched in 2020 as a part of Kleine Zalze’s wine portfolio and was conceptualised to allow the winemakers an opportunity to unleash their creativity and sense of vinous adventure.
Carina Gous, Kleine Zalze GM, says that since the first Project Z wines were launched, they have become sought-after items due to each wine’s distinctive traits showing quality and terroir, the limited volumes as well as the labels portraying the visual creative inputs of the Kleine Zalze team.
“With these wines’ unique places of origin and creative, experimental cellar techniques we have not only added another dimension to Kleine Zalze’s vinous offering, but have seen the learnings from the Project Z experiments being implemented in our Family Reserve and Vineyard Selection wines,” says Gous. “Vineyard sites and cellar techniques used on certain Project Z wines have been so impactful that we applied parts of that to our premium Kleine Zalze wines, underscoring the fact that the irreverent and visionary Project Z approach has long-term benefits for the brand as a whole.”
Besides the exciting range of wines themselves, Project Z’s eye-catching labels feature linocuts designed and executed by Kleine Zalze’s winemakers themselves.
The latest Project Z release features five wines – four from the 2023 vintage and one from 2024 – and comprises a Heritage Vineyard Certified Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Stellenbosch Syrah, Grenache Noir and a Heritage Certified White Blend comprising Palomino, Chenin Blanc, and Alvarinho.
RJ Botha, Kleine Zalze winemaker, says Project Z accords him and the rest of the cellar team – Hanri Ferreira, Nataleé Botha and Carla van Wyk, as well as viticulturist Henning Retief – the exciting opportunity of “allowing our imagination and creativity to go on an exciting journey”. This involves seeking out blocks of vineyards with unique and distinctive geographical features and then vinifying their grapes with a spirit of innovation.
For the latest Project Z range, grapes were sourced from a true geographical spread including the Stellenbosch, Durbanville and the Piekenierskloof region near Citrusdal. “All these vineyards are true off the-beaten-track blocks to which Kleine Zalze has the privilege of having access due to our long-term relationships with the respective grape-growers,” says RJ.
Despite the project’s emphasis on innovation, Project Z involves winemaking techniques that originate from the efforts of the ancient Greeks and Romans, who used clay amphora pots to ferment, mature, and store the world’s first wines. Klein Zalze currently has an impressive collection of 500l clay vessels and is seen as a leader of this method of vinification.
“Our amphorae are not, however, ancient,” says RJ, “we import them from Italy as part of a modern trend in the wine world to harness the distinctive abilities clay containers have of bringing an extra dimension to both red and white wines fermented and aged in these special vessels. The current Project Z wine range sees fermentation and maturation in an array of vessels, with concrete eggs and used oak barrels also used in the quest for complexity, texture and that ‘Z’ factor that makes the wines unique.”
The latest Kleine Zalze Project Z wines
1. Chenin Blanc 2023
Two registered Old Vine Heritage vineyards from two distinctly different Cape regions were harvested for this expressive, nuanced Chenin Blanc. Grapes originating from Stellenbosch and Durbanville were fermented and aged in a combination of clay amphorae and concrete egg after a period of overnight skin-contact in stainless steel tank. The result is a wine with a delicate aroma of white flowers and lime zest leading to a palate displaying notes of citrus, quince, and fynbos cloaked in a veil of intriguing complexity.
2. Heritage White Blend 2023
A wine combining creativity with Cape viticultural legacy, this Heritage White Blend brings together three grape varieties from two distinctly different regions. Palomino (70%) from Piekenierskloof in Citrusdal leads the composition, with Chenin Blanc (20%) and Alvarinho (10%) originating from Stellenbosch vineyards. Various portions were subjected to skin-contact as well as fermentation and aging in old oak barrels and clay amphorae, allowing the three grape varieties to form a textured, complex whole in a gorgeously complete wine.
3. Grenache Blanc 2024
Grenache Blanc grapes from Piekenierskloof were used in this riveting white wine showing layers of white fruit wrapped around a firm core of minerality. Wild yeast fermented in concrete eggs and matured for nine months in the same vessels, this Grenache Blanc exudes notes of citrus, hay and quince with a maritime salinity. Persistent and intriguing on the palate, this white wine offers a multitude of flavours and textured nuances.
4. Grenache Noir 2023
A sumptuous red wine where deft, grace and poise meet a brooding, dark-fruited power. Grapes are sourced from two distinctly different Cape regions, namely Piekenierskloof (80%) and Darling (20%), the wine being aged in a combination of clay amphorae and old oak barrels. The result is a refined, charming red wine with a dense floral perfume and displaying flavours of red-currant, plum and fig-paste, with an evocative edge of spice and forest-floor.
5. Stellenbosch Syrah 2023
This example of classic cool-climate Syrah is made from two vineyards set on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean at False Bay. A portion of whole-bunch ferment elevates the wine with a vivid brightness, while maturation in a combination of clay amphorae and older 300l barrels provides depth, nuance and layered complexity. A wine showing the optimal elegance Syrah is capable of, with dark fruit and cedar tones being lifted by an intriguing sliver of spice which is pronounced by long, silky tannins.