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Tag Archives: chenin blanc

Raats Original Unwooded Chenin Blanc 2019, Stellenbosch, South Africa

06 Tuesday Sep 2022

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$15, 4 stars, 89 points, chenin blanc, South Africa, stellenbosch


Pale straw colored with medium intensity aromas of tangerine, pear, yellow apple and persimmon.  The palate is dry with high acidity and medium (+) body.  The flavors I get are very interesting- mandarin oranges, soft pear, yellow apple and passion fruit.  There is a medium length finish that turns a bit bitter, like almond seed.  I like the fact that is is labelled as an unwooded wine, allowing the purity and character of the varietal to shine.  For $15 this 89 point wine gets 4 stars from me.  I’m at the beach so a seafood pairing is obvious.  Salut….

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Arabella Chenin Blanc 2021, Western Cape, South Africa

24 Sunday Jul 2022

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$18, 5 stars, 90 points, chenin blanc, Naked Wines, South Africa, western cape


Medium lemon/lime color.  Pronounced aromas of papaya, pineapple, ripe pear, honeysuckle, stone and guava.  Dry palate with medium (+) acidity and medium body.  The tropical fruit and crispness/minerality of this wine are delicious.  The finish is medium in length and I’m really enjoying the mouthfeel.  Really yummy, especially chilled on this hot summer’s day.  We are grilling jumbo prawns on a bed of crisp salad.  Drink now.  90 points for this $18 effort makes it a 5 star wine.  Ps. this varietal is also known as Steen in South Africa.  Salut….

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Domaine du Viking Vouvray Tendre 2016, Loire, France

01 Tuesday Feb 2022

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$24, 5 stars, 93 points, chenin blanc, france, loire valley, vouvray


I have always enjoyed wine from the Vouvray appellation where they make great Chenin Blanc, the majority of which is sparkling.  This one happens to have a bit of bottle age and is a stunning deep gold color.  12.5% ABV shows off barely a leg in the glass but the color is exquisite.  The nose has pronounced aromas of pineapple, pear, green apple, acacia and quince.  I’m also getting a touch of honeysuckle.  The palate is off-dry and full bodied.  Wow, the fruit just coats my mouth.  The acidity is medium (+) and the flavors are persistent- really ripe pineapple, green apple, fresh grated ginger, quince and floral notes of acacia and honeysuckle.  The back end is stunning- ripe fruit, great acidity and tremendous balance that goes on for a while.  This is a blockbuster of a white wine that will pair well with hearty fowl, Asian dishes, cheese boards and full throttle fish like Mackerel.  93 points from me make this $24 wine a no-brainer 5 point wine that will drink nicely till 2026.  Salut….

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Domaine Bourillon Dorleans Vouvray La Coulee d’Argent Vieilles Vignes 2019, Loire, France

02 Monday Aug 2021

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$20, 4 stars, 89 points, chenin blanc, france, loire, vouvray


Bright yellow in the glass.  Nose of floral and tropical fruits with some elderflower.  It almost smells sweet….

On the palate it is dry, crisp and full flavored.  Stone fruit, flower blossoms and pineapple.  There’s a green almond hint on the mid palate and medium acidity on the jaw.  I picked this wine to pair with Sous Vide chicken confit- the crispy skin is going to go beautifully with this rich, full bodied Chenin Blanc that gets 89 points and for $ 20- 4 stars.  Drink till 2024.  Salut….

 

 

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Chateau Moncontour Vouvray Cuvee Predilection Methode Traditionnelle Brut 2016, Loire, France

03 Thursday Dec 2020

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$23, 2 stars, 86 points, chenin blanc, france, loire


Light gold with small bubbles.  On the nose it is briny with tons of floral undertones and a hint of sweetness.  On the palate it is very fizzy with notes of baking spices, muted stone fruit flavors and a touch of summer flowers.  I’m not getting too much out of this wine unfortunately.  It gets 86 points from me with a drink till 2024 window. 2 stars for this $23 sparkler. Salut….

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Posted Accord Chenin Blanc 2019, Swartland, South Africa

12 Monday Oct 2020

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$18, 5 stars, 91 points, chenin blanc, firstleaf, South Africa, swartland


This South African Chenin is a bright gold color in the glass. On the nose I get flowers, melon, ripe plantain and a pink grapefruit note. The palate is very round and enticing. Flavors of melon, banana parfait, a touch of citrus and apple are all caressing my mouth. This wine really fills with flavor and body for a great mouthfeel. The mid palate is soft and continues the fruit melange theme. The long (30+seconds) finish reminds me of fruit salad with bananas. Fruity, flavorful and satisfying it’s easy to drink this 12.7% alcohol wine. I am really enjoying this it as I roast a Chicken with steamed green beans. It will drink well for a few years and gets 91 whopping points from me. For $18- 5 stars, wish I had more. Salut….

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Champalou Vouvray 2019, Loire, France

30 Sunday Aug 2020

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$25, 5 stars, 91 points, chenin blanc, france, loire valley, VWTC


The second wine of Tasting #8 was another Chenin Blanc, this time from Vouvray.  Served at room temperature first we noted a pale gold color.  The nose was flowery, with honeycrisp apple, honey, green apples, honeysuckle and pear.  The palate is somewhat sweet with several participants noting canned pear with it’s syrupy goodness.  I got passion fruit but the wine had a bitter aftertaste.

The chilled version was very interesting.  Oatmeal, burnt honey, Graham cracker, butter and white pepper were noted.  The wine had more citrus on the finish and I tasted sweet tangerine and pear as well.  I scored the chilled version the second highest wine of the night and really enjoyed this $25 wine, giving it 91 points and 5 stars.  Pairing suggestions would include grilled Swordfish, roasted Quail or even Moussaka.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

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Graham Beck The Game Reserve Chenin Blanc 2018, Robertson, South Africa

30 Sunday Aug 2020

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$18, 5 stars, 90 points, chenin blanc, South Africa, VWTC


As with the past seven Virtual Wine tastings, it’s difficult for me to objectively write a review and run the tasting, so I take basic notes of what others are tasting and smelling.

This Chenin Blanc kicked off the evening with us tasting it at room temperature followed by a chilled glass of the same wine.  It’s really amazing how the wine morphs when served at different temps.  The one thing that is constant is the color- in this case a light golden shade, really pretty in the glass.  The warm version gave us melon, fruity lemon, pear, citrus, stone fruit and green apple on the nose. The palate notes are ‘very fruity’, citrusy, tangerine, oakiness, lime and yellow apple.

The chilled version was a bit muted but introduced Brioche, minerality, piecrust, toast, green pepper, slightly more acidity and ‘crisp’.

Keep in mind there were 8 different bottles being served in different environments- some inside and some outside all up and down the east coast.  My overall impression was that I enjoyed the room temp glass more as it was open for business and the nose and palate were fuller.  I am going with 90 points and 5 stars for this $18 effort.  Drink  till 2024 with seafood, perhaps a grilled Salmon filet.  Salut….

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Cameron Hughes Lot 722 Chenin Blanc 2018, Sonoma County, California

22 Saturday Aug 2020

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$13, 4 stars, 88 points, california, chenin blanc, sonoma county


Pale yellow in the glass.  On the nose I get watermelon, lime spritz and melon.  On the palate it is fruity and flavorful- quince, pear and a buttery note.  The mid palate continues the full bodied mouthfeel and flavor profile.  The finish is decent in length and offers up some honey alongside yellow apple and more pear.  It’s an interesting and tasty wine for sure, refreshing yet it has some depth and viscosity.  The malolactic fermentation has given it a touch of butter and flab, enough to notice but not overdone.  This wine will pair well with grilled Salmon, Cobb salad or baked Aubergine in tomatoes.  Drink till 2024.  For $13, this is a no-brainer to keep on hand.  88 points make it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

 

 

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Nederburg The Winemasters Chenin Blanc 2016, Coastal Region, South Africa

12 Thursday Sep 2019

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$9, 4 stars, 88 points, chenin blanc, South Africa, western cape


Pale gold in the glass, it is crystal clear.  On the nose there’s lemon, melon, pear and lychee.  The palate echoes those flavors from front to the finish.  There is a unique mouthfeel, effervescence, without the bubbles.  The acidity is in check but not shy.  It adds depth and cut.  The Chenin Blanc varietal is widely found in France and South Africa.  Differing climates produce variations on the flavor profile but this grape is very enticing, versatile and delicious.  I am going with 88 points and 4 stars for this $9 offering that you should drink till 2022 with grilled chicken, sausage and mash or even smoked salmon.  Salut….

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