Pieter Ferreira, chairman of the Cap Classique Producers Association; Nataleé Botha of Kleine Zalze; and Amorim South Africa's MD Joaquim Sá.
The winning wine in this category was the Klein Zalze Brut Rosé, a non-vintage wine made from grapes grown in Stellenbosch and Robertson.
The Amorim Cap Classique Challenge 2025 saw the 24th consecutive rendition of this event, attracting a record number of 152 entries. Kleine Zalze has been a regular top-performer in this competition, winning the award for overall best-producer in 2021.
Nataleé Botha, winemaker at Kleine Zalze, says this year’s award reaffirms Kleine Zalze’s reputation for Cap Classique wines, a category that lies at the very foundation of this renowned winery also known for its top-quality offering of still wines, including among others Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Chardonnay.
“Like all the wines Kleine Zalze makes, the focus for our Cap Classique begins in the vineyard,” says Botha. “We have made a point of over the years ensuring access to the best pockets of Cape wineland terroir suitable for each category of wine we produce,” she says. “These vineyards are farmed to our exacting standards, and it is this combination between terroir and viticulture that lies at the heart of Klein Zalze’s reputation for quality across the board.”
Kleine Zalze Brut Rosé is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, the former variety sourced from Stellenbosch vineyards with a close proximity to the cool Atlantic Ocean at False Bay, while Chardonnay comes from Robertson.
“These two sites allow us truly the best of both worlds when it comes to making a rosé Cap Classique,” says Botha. “The limestone-rich soils of Robertson, South Africa’s Chardonnay home, gives fruit of vivid brightness with sunny citrus notes and a beautiful balanced ratio between sugar and acidity that adds finesse and structure. Stellenbosch’s Pinot Noir not only provides the enticing salmon-skin hue one is looking for in a rosé Cap Classique, but also adds floral notes to the wine, as well as a succulent berry-flavour. As far as marriages go, the one found in a Cap Classique Rosé made from grapes grown in Robertson and Stellenbosch is pretty much perfect.”
The vinification process involved handpicking grapes, whole-bunch pressing, and fermentation in stainless steel tanks, followed by 18 months of maturation on lees in the bottle.
Heidi Duminy, a Cape Wine Master who was convener of this year’s judging panel, says that ascertaining the qualities of the rosé category at this year’s Amorim Cap Classique Challenge was a true delight.
“The rosé category is one of the most challenging to judge, and I always tell my panels to expect the unexpected,” says Duminy. “This year’s entries were no different and we were faced with a delightful array of wines showing diverse colours and a variety of flavour profiles, from rich and fruit-driven to bracing and energetic. If there was one overriding feature, it was quality of the kind underscoring the fact that Cape terroir and the skill of our Cap Classique winemakers are ensuring this remains one of the most dynamic sectors in South African wine.”