Chenin Blanc
Pronunciation:“shen-nin blahnk”
TASTING NOTES
FRUIT: yellow apple, quince, pear, baked apple, bruised apple, passionfruit, lime, honeydew melon, peach, mandarin orange.
OTHER: lemon verbena, ginger, honey, honeysuckle, jasmine, chamomile, saffron, apple blossom, cheese rind (oxidative styles), hay, butterscotch, lemon curd, nutmeg, baked apple,.
ACIDITY: medium-plus to high acidity
Welcome to a rising star in the white wine world, a near-foolproof crowdpleaser that is neither too oaky nor too grassy: Chenin Blanc.
Although the grape comes from the Loire valley in France, South Africa currently leads the world in production, with the varietal resulting in over one-fifth of all vineyard plantings, producing about half the world’s supply annually.
“I think it’s a fun grape for wine drinkers to explore. Chenins can appeal to a wide range of fans – they have enough body to appeal to Chardonnay drinkers, enough aromatic generosity to make Sauvignon Blanc fans happy, and they’re still fresh, which is important to Pinot Grigio drinkers.”
Depending on the winemaker’s recipe and handling of the grapes, it can produce both dry and sweet wines, sparkling and still wines, and varieties that range from easy drinking to deep, serious Chenins.
Here in the Overberg we have the following Chenin Blanc producers
PAUL WALLACE
WHALEHAVEN
CREATION
PAARDENKLOOF ESTATE
ANYSBOS
BEAUMONT
GABRIELSKLOOF
LUDDITE
VILLION
WILDEKRANS
BRUCE JACK
JEAN DANEEL
(Please note that there may be other Chenin producers, but they have not subscribed to our website)