The wines
and the house
Saltare Brut Nature
Zero dosage blend
A zero dosage Cap Classique with no added sugar or sulphur. Pinot noir and Chardonnay with 18-24 months lees contact. Crisp, fresh rose and lavender with a hint of clove; green apple, strawberry, a clean finish and exceptional length. Perfect as an aperitif.
Saltare Brut Rosé
Single vineyard Pinot Noir
Lovely pale pink from 100% Pinot noir grapes; 18 months on the lees. Raspberry, red berries, and cherry with a delicate, mineral red apple
and pomegranate palate, fine sherbet like mousse and beautiful strawberry and almond on the finish.
Saltare Brut Reserve
Extended lees blend
A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with 36 months lees contact. Blended with 25% barrel-aged reserve wines for consistency and depth. Almond and camomile aromas, honey, oyster and yellow apple with a fine, delicate mousse and a long, creamy finish.
Saltare Blanc de Blancs
Extended lees Chardonnay
100% Chardonnay with 42 months on the lees. Exquisite aperitif with delicate flavours. Savoury notes with creamy lemon curd and ginger biscuits; delicate camomile on the crisp, dry follow-through. Fine and persistent bubbles.
Next release 2026
Saltare Blanc de Noirs Cuveé Camille
Extended lees Pinot Noir
Small batch and occasional release only during exceptional vintages. 100% Pinot noir with 42 months lees contact. Lovely silky texture; aromas of lime blossom, fresh cherry and strawberry jam with flavours of raspberry, rose, pomegranate and white peach. Delicate, fine mousse.
Next release 2026
Saltare Old Vines Chenin Blanc
Paardeberg, Swartland
This wine has beautiful aromas of orange blossom, tangerine, and caramel, with flavours of white peach and orange rind. It has a velvet texture with a lingering, clean finish. The ideal food pairing wine with full mouthfeel and bright acidity.
Saltare Syrah
Swartland Single Vineyard
Layers of mulberry, clove, aniseed, violet, and cedarwood on the nose with deep flavours of cassis, allspice, white pepper and a silky, velvety texture.
Pairing: caramelised onion tart or matured brie.
Saltare Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Frantoio, Leccino, and Nocellara del Belice
Hand harvested and carefully milled and pressed, blended, and rested for two months to clarify by natural settling. This oil has beautiful aromas of grass, sage, and lime with bright flavours of lemon fig leaf, almond and a lingering peppery sweetness. From 15 year old trees grown in Ida’s Valley, Stellenbosch.
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More about Saltare
The name Saltare means ‘to dance’ in Latin (pronounced /saltarε/) and is the name we have chosen for our Cap Cassiques and wines.
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Inspired by her love of Champagne, winemaker Carla Pauw produced her first Cap Classique in 2003, inviting a few friends to come and help hand harvest some Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, basket-pressing (with music and dance!) enough juice to fill a single barrel.
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Carla's husband Christoff never dreamed of becoming involved in a winemaking project. He grew up in Zambia and moved to Stellenbosch at age ten. Life in the heart of South Africa's winegrowing region inevitably led to an appreciation for good wine and its makers! Christoff helps to drive the truck and taste the samples while backing up Carla with some admin. He also works at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study, STIAS.
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Saltare officially came into being from the 2007 vintage and, whilst there is a limited amount of Syrah and old vine Chenin Blanc, the focus remains firmly on Cap Classique, with Carla dedicating herself to the project since 2010.
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Saltare's winemaking philosophy includes minimal impact and biodynamics. Grape juice and wine is moved with gravitation rather than pumps, wooden barrels serve as balancing and integration component rather than flavour, and the wines are allowed the time they need to develop roundness and wholeness.
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Initially, the wines were made at Stellenbosch University’s experimental cellar, but production has now transferred to Lushof Cellar just outside the town whilst Saltare operates from a small studio on Die Laan, on the banks of the Eersterivier in Stellenbosch’s historic heart.
The Cap Classique Chardonnay comes from vines planted in the limestone soils of Robertson from several vineyards along the Breede River near Bonnievale. The Pinot Noir comes from a cool, sandy east-facing slope on the maritime side of Stellenbosch, with smaller batches originating from Bonnievale as well. The irrigation free Chenin Blanc vineyard was planted in 1971 on the northern slopes of the Paardeberg, while the Syrah, also unirrigated, grows on Malmesbury soils.