Varietals - Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc is a complex and often overlooked white grape.  In most places, it is used to produce lackluster white wines, simple sipper at best.  However, once in a while this grape produces rich wines fragrant with the scents of honey, quince, almond blossom, and spice.  A well crafted Chenin Blanc carries a noticeable acidity that can be aged to produce richer, nuttier flavors in the better quality wines.

The hallmark flavor of the Chenin Blanc grape is a unique combination of tastes that produces a more compelling profile in the mouth with a lanolin scent reminiscent of sheep’s wool.  Those unfamiliar with this scent have also compared the flavor to hay or beeswax.  If this uncommon profile sparks your interest, the best Chenin Blanc wines can be found in California, South Africa, and France.

France's Loire Valley makes definitive Chenin Blanc. In the maritime climate of the western Loire Valley (the opposite end from where the lean and sharp Sauvignon Blanc grows), the grape takes on flavors of quince, apple blossoms, spice, nuts, and that hallmark lanolin character, plus a heavy minerality.

Loire wines made from Chenin Blanc are often not labeled as such. Instead, look for white wines from Anjou, Saumur, Savennieres, and Vouvray.

Saumur tends to offer the lightest, crispest Chenin Blanc, with Anjou falling a close second. Vouvray and Savennieres vary widely in style, from quince-flavored wines with cutting acidity to marzipan-rich, long-lived treasures that will run $80 or more. Savennieres also claims one of the smallest appellations in France, the 17-acre Savennieres-Coulee de Serrant.

Chenin Blanc is South Africa’s all-purpose grape, grown everywhere and turned into wines that range from $6 bargains to pricey splurges. It's so popular that it's hard to find South African Chenin Blanc outside the country—most is consumed within it’s borders. Savvy wine buyers can find the South African version labeled as Chenin Blanc, or also as Steen, the South African name for the grape.  Bottles will range in price from a  light and clean version at $10 to more expensive options with richer flavors reminiscent of France.

Though the best Chenin Blanc wines are found outside of the US, California does offer a couple of standouts.  Chappellet makes both an Old Vine Cuve and a Dry Chenin Blanc from old Chenin vines in Napa Valley. With dry, floral honey flavors and bright acidity, it shows Chenin to its best advantages.

The tasting experience with a Chenin Blanc will range in flavor and complexity based on price and quality.  Less expensive wines like the Dry Creek Vineyard Dry Chenin Blanc or Beringer Chenin Blanc will offer simpler profiles, lighter taste, and a less acidic character.  Higher priced, and often higher quality, bottles like the Savennieres from Coulee de Serrant or Chateau d’Epire will showcase a heavier, richer quality and a more pronounced mineral taste.