The annual Chenin Blanc Association Top 10
Challenge Awards were presented in the spectacular wine cellar at Ellerman House. The challenge drew 113 wooded and 46 unwooded entries, all tasted
blind by the five member panel, with 27 wines shortlisted for the final top ten
line-up
To quote Ken Forrester, chairman of the Chenin
Blanc Association: "Chenin Blanc has come of age. The versatility of
Chenin, its diversity of wine styles and its great food-friendliness, all point
towards its rising acceptance among local consumers. This is in line with the
growing international interest in the grape, increasingly seen abroad as South
Africa’s calling card”. South Africa
has more Chenin Blanc under vine than any other country in the world
What else
could do the welcome so well but the
Sparkle Horse Brut Chenin Blanc MCC from Ken Forrester
Sparkle Horse Brut Chenin Blanc MCC from Ken Forrester
Michelle Stewart and Associate judge Spencer
Fondaumiere,
Group Operations Manager and Sommelier; Burrata, Bocca and Open Door Restaurants
Group Operations Manager and Sommelier; Burrata, Bocca and Open Door Restaurants
Media
colleagues Jon Meinking and Clifford Roberts
Jeff
Grier of Villiera, Dirk van Zyl and Danie de Waal of De Morgenzon
We were
offered some canapés. These were sweet raspberry macarons, rather surprisingly
filled with smoked salmon. An odd sensation
A plate of
the canapés on offer. Nothing was what it seemed on the surface
The crisp, crumbed belly of pork on the left was topped with what tasted like mackerel mousse
The chef mixed many sweet and fishy flavours with the savoury expectation
Not universally popular, probably very trendy. Media are rarely that adventurous
The crisp, crumbed belly of pork on the left was topped with what tasted like mackerel mousse
The chef mixed many sweet and fishy flavours with the savoury expectation
Not universally popular, probably very trendy. Media are rarely that adventurous
Ellerman
House Sommelier Melusi Magodhi
Jeff
Grier, Vice Chairman of the Chenin Blanc Association
Renee
and Jean Daneel from JD Wines in Napier
We stood to
listen to the awards of the Top 10
The Chenin
Blanc Association told us in a video that UK wine consultant Simon Field MW, a specialist
on wines from the Loire in France, where Chenin originates and the only foreign
judge on the panel, was impressed with the line-up of what he called very
polished, palatable and professional wines and their multiplicity of
expression. “A definitively South African Chenin style was apparent to me -
riper, more fruit-forward and floral, with qualities of nectarine and other
yellow fruit, some beeswax and honey. The whole experience gave me a fascinating
new perspective on Chenin”
Craig
Polkinghorne, Head: Business and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank Group,
who sponsor the awards, reiterated their commitment to Chenin and the wine industry
who sponsor the awards, reiterated their commitment to Chenin and the wine industry
The aroma
wheel of Chenin Blanc, in all its diverse iterations
Fruit for
the winning wines was sourced from as far afield as the Cederberg, Stellenbosch
including Bottelary and Faure, Darling, Elgin, Durbanville, the Swartland -
specifically Voor-Paardeberg, Perdeberg, Malmesbury - Tygerberg, Slanghoek,
Wellington and Bot River
Cathy van Zyl MW, the chairman of the judges,
said that the winning wines were largely, but not exclusively, sourced from
older vineyards. “While one of the winners comes from 12-year old vines, the
others come from vines that are older than 27 years. Indeed, the oldest
vineyard in the line-up is 65-years’ old”. The judges were Cathy van Zyl MW
(chair), Richard Kershaw MW, James Pietersen (Wine Cellar), Tinashe
Nyamudoka (Test Kitchen), Simon Field MW (UK) and Associate judge Spencer
Fondaumiere as an observer
The 2018 top
10 winners were
Cederberg
Private Cellar Five Generations Chenin Blanc 2016
DeMorgenzon
Reserve Chenin Blanc 2017
Jean Daneel
Wines Signature Chenin Blanc 2016 (debut)
Leopard’s
Leap Culinaria Chenin Blanc 2016
Mulderbosch
Vineyards Chenin Blanc Steen op Hout 2017 (debut)
Slanghoek Wynkelder
Legends Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2016 (debut)
Spier Wines
21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2017
Stellenrust
‘53’ Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2017
Wellington
Wines La Cave Chenin Blanc 2016 (debut)
Wildekrans
Barrel Select Chenin Blanc Reserve 2017 (debut)
Here the
winners are with their awards
Cathy
van Zyl told us, “While one of the winners comes from 12-year old vines, the
others come from vines that are older than 27 years. Indeed, the oldest
vineyard in the line-up is 65-years’ old.” The wines are all wooded and they
are magnificent in their class and deservedly top Chenin Blancs. The prices
range from R70 to R375, an average of R200 a bottle. But we did miss the fresh
unwooded wines, which are very popular and also sell so well
Winemaker
Carl van der Merwe's signature is on this beautiful rounded Chenin, with
minerality and elegance, apple blossom on the complex nose. Oak wood, butter,
then crisp limes, lemon, and nectarine, it has depth and length and dry with
minerality and some chalk, ending in fine wood. R375
Wildekrans
2017 Barrel Selection. Honey and orange marmalade, floral with orange blossom
on the nose. Honey notes, round, crisp lemon freshness, nectarines & long
lush flavours. R228
La Cave 2016
from Wellington Winery has a round grassy nose, with flinty smoke. On the
palate, richness, fullness, baked apple, marmalade bitterness that is wood,
with minerality and another hint of wood smoke on the end. R100
Stellenrust
2017 Barrel Fermented. Grassy and floral, with melon, apple, pineapple and litchi
with gentle wood, the latter supporting but present. R200
Spier 21
Gables 2017 in a top line up yet again. Golden Chenin nose, grassy with soft
smoke. Good fruit acidity, then lots of wood flavours from light to dark, fruit
follows with intense quince and juicy white pears
Slanghoek
Wynkelder Legends Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2016 (debut) has tropical notes
on the nose and lime and apricots with butterscotch wood on the full palate.
Mulderbosch
Steen op Hout Chenin Blanc 2017 (debut) is a very popular wine. Brandy wood,
dry grass, apricots and cooked apple with minerality on the nose, wood and
apples, lemon & limes, wood and minerality echo on the palate. It has a
long finish and is very satisfying
Leopard’s
Leap Culinaria Chenin Blanc 2016. Shy with smoky grass and passion fruit on the
nose; 9 months in 500 litre barrels. Exciting entry, rich zingy fruit, nicely
rounded, apples, pears, peaches; a good acid and fruit balance. Dark toasted
wood right at the end
Jean Daneel
Wines Signature Chenin Blanc 2016 (debut), Made by Jean Daneel's son, Jean-Pierre. Father has guided him well; this is a lovely wine in the family tradition.
Elegant minerality and hints of sea breezes on the nose. Rich dark caramel
fruit, stewed apple, more caramel wood. The fruit is vying with the wood to
come to the fore and the wine ends with limes and lemons and flinty smoke
Ellerman
House Sommelier Melusi Magodhi and Pieter du Toit of Cederberg Private
Cellar. Cederberg Private Cellar Five Generations Chenin Blanc 2016 has a
lovely apple blossom nose, with apples and pears dominating the full palate and
just gentle wooding supporting this good wine
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2018
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