Kleine Zalze, a harvest to remember
Friday, 22 February, 2013
Kleine Zalze Wines
We had a very good build-up of reserves in our grapes due to the wet 2012 winter which left us with enough moisture in the soil to see us through the warmer months.
We had a very good build-up of reserves in our grapes due to the wet 2012 winter which left us with enough moisture in the soil to see us through the warmer months.
One of the major challenges of this season was the 70km/h wind we experienced end of November, during the period of berry set. We were lucky to escape with minimum damage due to the positioning of the shoots between the wires and the fact that our vineyards are planted in a NE/SW row direction that allows the wind to move with the vineyard rows rather than against it.
The initial postponed harvesting time quickly changed due to the warm December 2012 temperatures. For more than 20 days we received temperatures of 30°C or above, therefor harvesting started at the same time as in 2012.
With cooler night temperatures (cooler than we've ever experienced) the period of harvesting the reds was extended with 1 - 2 weeks. The weekly rain spells were also the reason for longer hanging time especially for later red varietals like Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. On all the red varietals we experienced more pip and skin ripeness with very good colour extraction. Dark, savoury and rich aromas with soft layers of cultivar fruit can be expected.
The Sauvignon Blancs are showing exceptional varietal character with complex fruit acidities. With bigger canopies on our Chenin Blanc bush vine vineyards, the grapes ripened in a cooler micro-climate that favoured better fruit aromas and higher acidity levels. Our bush vines, especially those from our dry land vineyards, showed very good growth with the grapes reaching optimum ripeness due to the cooler temperatures. The bigger canopies also protected the grapes against sunburn.
2013 gave us a vintage with very good varietal expression, excellent for flavours on the white wines and soft, rich tannins with excellent colour on the reds.