CHENIN BLANC
The Chenin Blanc grape variety originates in the Loire Valley of France. Also called Steen when grown in South Africa, Chenin Blanc grapes are used to produce wines of varying quality. Flavors and aromas of Chenin Blanc wines include fruit, honey, quince, and grasses. Other characteristics of wines made from Chenin Blanc grapes include an oily texture, high acidity, and a deep gold coloring. The specific characteristics of Chenin Blanc wines depend heavily on where they are grown.
Chenin Blanc vines have a well-earned reputation for vigor, for they are resistant to many diseases and grow well in multiple soil types. In spite of its origins in the cool-weather Loire, the grape performs well in warm climates that are often inhospitable to many vinifera types
Chenin blanc is arguably the most versatile of all wine grape varieties. Crisp, dry table wines, light sparkling wines, long-lived, unctuous, nectar-like dessert wines, and even brandy are all produced in various areas of the wine world, all using dominantly or entirely chenin blanc grapes. The versatility of Chenin Blanc may be both a blessing and a curse, since very few labels reveal any residual sugar which would indicate the style or sweetness of the wine to consumers
In spite of its wide plantings and potential flavor palates, most chenin blanc is made into serviceable, but generally bland wine and frequently blended with other varieties to contribute acidity without significantly altering flavor profile. A general tendency to over-irrigate and overcrop further reduce most Chenin Blanc to the forgettable.
Grape Variety
Chenin Blanc
Use in Old World
Loire (Anjou)
Use in New World
US and South Africa.
Color
Clear.
Aroma
Green apples. Occasionally honeyed.
Body
Light.
Wine Making Flavors
Minimal flavors intrude, even when much is done to the wine.
Blended with
Almost never, except in bulk wines, when it is blended with other bulk varieties..
Other
By far the most misunderstood white variety. In the Anjou region of the Loire in France, it makes remarkable wines, the best of which (Coteaux du Layon) are lightly sweet and among the most long lived. In the rest of the world it is used for cheap whites and jug wine.
Categories:
White Wine Grapes