Kleine Zalze winemaker Lizemari Geldenhuys emphasises the role of bubbly in celebrating life. As part of Food For Mzansi’s 2023 Faces of Summer campaign, she shares what their award-winning winery has to offer this festive season.
At the core of celebrations
What’s the festive season without a touch of bubbles, right? Kleine Zalze winemaker Lizemari Geldenhuys believes “bubbly is there to celebrate life”, offering a vibrant selection of their Cap Classiques to elevate your holiday days.
Nestled in the heart of the Cape Winelands, just two miles from Stellenbosch, sits Kleine Zalze, an award-winning winery with a straightforward winemaking philosophy – success starts in the vineyards.
“At Kleine Zalze, we purchase grapes from over 30 producers for all our wine ranges because it allows us to select the finest parcel of grapes,” Geldenhuys says. “Bubbly isn’t just for celebrating a birthday or a wedding; it’s there to celebrate life.”
Cap Classique Brut NV
For a delightful festive season, Geldenhuys shares their summer wine selections, starting with Cap Classique Brut NV, a classic Cap Classique with beauty, complexity, and a lengthy finish. This Cap Classique is a combination of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes.
The aromas of strawberry and blackberry fruit tastes are balanced by the richness of a typical biscuit scent. This wine is transformed into an outstanding sparkling sensation by a lively delicate mousse, Geldenhuys teases.
“This is one of our popular Cap Classiques that you can find in every shop and most restaurants,” she explains.
Cultivating perfection
The average cool night and day temperatures boosted the fruit acidity and grape quality of the chardonnay, grown in the limestone-rich soils of Robertson, resulting in an excellent fruit expression.
The cool October and November weather on pinot noir allows for smaller berry sizes, loose bunches, and better fruit concentration. The pinot noir was cultivated in cooler areas in the False Bay area, contributing to the crisp acidity.
“With meticulous canopy management, only the best bunches were allowed to ripen and produce this wine. We chose the typical grape varietals chardonnay 60% and pinot noir 40%,” she says.
Cap Classique Nectar Rosé NV
The second choice is Cap Classique Nectar Rosé NV. With its aromas of strawberries and red berries followed by layers of tropical fruit, this Cap Classique is described as playful and flirtatious. “Last year we released two nectars, so it is a little sweeter than our normal brut,” she explains.
“We selected conventional grape varietals, chardonnay 40% and pinot noir 60%, handpicked in the chilly early morning hours,” she explains.
Vintage galore: Cap Classique Vintage Brut
And finally, Geldenhuys reveals their flagship bottle of Cap Classique Vintage Brut. An old-world style sparkling wine made from the finest selected parcels of the traditional grape varietals chardonnay and pinot noir, bottle fermented and aged for five years before disgorgement.
“When you decide to bottle a Cap Classique, three days before the bottling you start a yeast bomb and you rehydrate yeast cells, making them stronger, giving the yeast bomb a lot of attention and love. Then you increase the sugar of that base wine tank to 23 grams per litre,” she explains.
During the harvest season, ideal weather conditions – moderate day temperatures, cool night temperatures, and no extended rain or heat waves – had a significant impact on wine grape quality and the establishment of good colour and flavour.
The grapes were all sourced from Stellenbosch’s False Bay region with the traditional varieties chardonnay (60%) and pinot noir (40%) employed.
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