"KLEINE ZALZE" PINOTAGE
STELLENBOSCH - SOUTH AFRICA

Viticulture:
The grapes were harvested from two blocks in the Stellenbosch and Durbanville regions. Picking took place at sugar levels of 24 - 25ºB with optimum ripeness to bring out only the soft, ripe tannins of Pinotage grapes. The crop varied between 6-9 tons per hectare from bush vine and trellised grapes.

Vinification:
After picking, the grapes underwent 3 - 6 days of cold maceration in the tanks. After inoculated with selected yeasts, the juice was regularly pumped over for colour and soft phenol extraction. Fermenting dry, 50% of the blend went through malolactic fermentation in third fill barrels, where the wine remained for 12 months. The other 50% was left unoaked.

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:
The wine shows a deep red colour with intense plum, mulberry and black fruit flavours. The portion that was aged in French oak barrels adds a soft complexity with well integrated firm tannins.