Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2009

A very well-balanced, medium-bodied wine with appealing dry pear, citrus and orange peel fruit flavours. With extended lees contact in the barrels, the wine shows well integrated oak with a creamy, long, fresh aftertaste.


variety : Chardonnay [ 100% Chardonnay ]
winemaker : Johan Joubert
wine of origin : Western Cape
analysis : alc : 14.0 % vol  rs : 2.0 g/l  pH : 3.4  ta : 6.4 g/l  
type : White   wooded
pack : Bottle  closure : Cork  

in the vineyard : The relatively cool ripening season of 2009 provided optimal conditions for the ripening of Chardonnay fruit. Grapes were carefully selected from specific vineyards from deep, red Stellenbosch Glenrosa soils and blend with grapes from deep red Robertson Karoo soils. With their small berries and intense cultivar fruit flavours, the portion of grapes from the Stellenbosch region added to the complexity in the wine.

about the harvest: Early-morning harvesting at a sugar level of 23.5° Balling.

in the cellar : After harvesting, the grapes were left in static drainers for 6 hours to extract flavour from the skins. The fermentation process was started in stainless steel tanks after which the wine fermented in 30% new, 50% second fill and 20% third fill French oak barrels. After the alcoholic fermentation was completed, no malolactic fermentation occured and the wine was left on the lees for 6 months. Barrel fermentation and maturation took place in 300 liter French oak tight grain barrels for an 8 month period.

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