South Africa – some fine Chenins from the Chenin Blanc Association

 Ina Smith on message –
#drink chenin

As usual at the annual tasting of South African wines, there was a selection shown by The Chenin Blanc Association. There were ten wines – the Top 10 Winning Wines of the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc 2016 Challenge. All but one were from the 2015 vintage – described by Ina Smith, manager of the association – as a great year. 

From the ten wines (naturally all 100% Chenin) shown my favourites were: 

2015 Boschendal Sommelier Selection (Coastal Region)
Unwooded with good rich weight, concentration and length. 

2015 Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc (Stellenbosch) 
I'm often impressed with the Kleine Zalze's wines and this was no exception. Nicely balanced, richly textured mouthfilling fruit, powerful long finish but with some freshness at the end. 

I preferred the Vineyard Selection to Kleine Zalze's Family Reserve, which also made the Standard top ten. 

2015 Bellingham The Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc (Coastal Region)
Again a richly textured Chenin, long and powerful but also nicely restrained not blowsy. Its 14% alcohol is well balanced and doesn't show.  

2013 Rijk's Private Cellar Chenin Blanc (Tulbagh)Showing well with a little bit of bottle age giving extra complexity with the ripe richness that characterised all of these South African Chenins.    

South Africa: some photos from yesterday's Intrepid annual London tasting

  Carolyn Martin, Creation Wines 

See my post on their wines from earlier this week

 Dieter Odendaal, Creation Wines 

 Ina Smith, manager of Chenin Blanc Association 

– #drink chenin 

Ina's definitely on message ....

 Sebastian Beaumont, Beaumont Family Wines 

 Adam Mason, Terroir Life – Mulderbosch

 Adam with the Mulderbosch A Block 

Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 

Adam was a runaway winner of the 

Leopard Skin shirt contest


Another good shirt sported by a producer 
WOSA (Wines of South Africa) 
should be encouraging this trend 
– follow Mandela! 

Chenin Blanc@The Beautiful South tasting, Olympia, London

 Beautiful South Tasting@Olympia – Argentina, Chile and South Africa

I spent a fair chunk of time@the Beautiful South tasting at Olympia. This is the first edition of this combined tasting with Argentina, Chile and South Africa getting together. I spent much of my time there tasting Chenin Blanc from South Africa. 

 Ken Forrester: The long established King of South African Chenin Blanc

The fine FMC is Ken's top Chenin with a production of 1000 cases 

 Bruwer Raats: Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc specialist

@Raats Family Wines

Excellent Old Vine Chenin 

 Ina Smith, manager of the Chenin Blanc Association

 Andrea Mullineux, winemaker for Mullineux Family Wines 

tasting their beautifully balanced 2012 Chenin Blanc Straw Wine 

  

 Johan Reyneke, vine hugger@reyneke

Decidedly humbling few moments to be told by Johan Reyneke that my visit back in 2001, not long after they started out (1998) and were then making wine in a cow shed, had been encouraging and an inspiration. I had liked their Chenin and cited it in the article I wrote for Decanter on South African Chenin. Johan told me that this had persuaded them that they were making better wine than they thought.

 

Was sorry not to have had a chance to take shots of Gary Jordan (Jordan Wine Estate) as I was impressed with the concentration and texture of his 2012 Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc. Unfortunately he had departed for lunch when I was going round taking a few snaps. 

 Appalling lack of properly controlled visitor screening  

– they let anyone into these tastings...