Reviving the serious quality of Chenin Blanc
Thursday, 27 June, 2013
Chicago Sun-Time
Chenin Blanc has a diversity of styles and there are many finely crafted
renditions of this grape from around the world, most notably from the Loire Valley of France and the Stellenbosch region of South Africa.
During the infancy of California winegrowing, Chenin Blanc was widely planted in the hot climate of California's Central Valley and
used in large bulk wine production or as a sweet blending grape. While
this led to misunderstanding of the true character of Chenin, when
planted in ideal surroundings this grape can express a dry to off dry
character with a sort of energizing freshness due to a high propensity
of natural acidity that this grape retains.
South Africa remains the largest
producer of Chenin Blanc, dedicating one-fifth of its production to this
varietal. Early on this grape had been referred to as Steen because of
the vine cuttings that were sent to South Africa by the Dutch.
Interesting was that the Dutch translation for Steen was "stone" which
can mimic the flavors found in this wine. In 1993 Ken Forrester settled
in Stellenbosch, purchasing one of the oldest wine farms in the Cape
that dated back to the 17th century. He enlisted the help of winemaker Martin Meinert in a quest to revive the serious quality and recognition of this wine.
The 2011 Petit Chenin is the
entry level offering among three tiers of Chenin Blanc produced by
Forrester Vineyards. The grapes are sourced from other growers in
Stellenbosch with an average age of 30 years. This white has a
yellow-greenish tint with scents of lemongrass and melon. The core is a
dry style of Chenin Blanc offering less tropical fruit than others with
highlights of pure green apple, lime zest and pear flavors that are
layered in bright mineral acidity. This wine is more typical of the
European model of Chenin Blanc. The harmony of this wine is best
appreciated with a slow grilled halibut and citrus glaze which will
accent the bright flavors of this summer white.