CHENIN SHINES
Chenin blanc can be made in an array of styles. Get to know this great white variety with these top examples.
1 2020 ABBEY VALE WINES PREMIUM RSV CHENIN BLANC
Wine region: Margaret River, WA
Pale green, the nose shows lifted florals and crunchy fresh apples with the barest hint of complexing flint and oak. Super-fresh on the palate, flavours of fresh citrus and pomme fruits interplay perfectly with nervy acidity.
What do you love most about this style of chenin blanc?
Complex yet refreshing, this style of chenin is like sauvignon blanc and chardonnay had a love child, and it got all the good bits of both parents. It’s super accessible and fresh like sauvignon blanc, but with loads of intrigue and complexity like chardonnay
How should we enjoy this wine?
Chenin ages wonderfully and we feel that this wine will unfold and bring joy for a decade. We suggest drinking it now with some seafood, preferably on a yacht. $25, abbeyvalewines.com.au @abbeyvalewines
22015 TORRENT CHEN IN BLANC SPEAK LIKE AN ITALIAN
Wine region: Swan Valley, WA
This chenin blanc is dominated by herbal characters typical to Swan Valley. It is bodied with ripe apple and mango notes, which gives the palate crisp acidity to ensure balance with bottle ageing.
What do you love most about this style of chenin blanc?
I love how the focus is on the balance achieved by our multiple picks ranging from greener to riper. This inspires a beautiful natural acidity constantly evolving throughout the years.
How should we enjoy this wine?
You’ll enjoy this wine paired with antipasto and pasta dishes, my favourite being pasta aglio e olio after a hard day’s work in the vineyard. Serve the wine at a cool 6° to 8°.
Best Chenin Blanc, 2021 Swan Valley Wine Awards / Best Regional Wine of Show, 2021 Swan Valley Wine Awards / Best Chenin Blanc, 2021 Australian Chenin Blanc Challenge.
$24, torrentwines.com.au @torrentwines
32021 NI KOLA ESTATE REGIONAL CHENIN BLANC
Wine region: Swan Valley, WA
Pale straw in colour, lifted aromatics of quince, ripe lemon and oak in support. The palate shows concentrated yellow fruit, butterscotch and a driving acidity.
What do you love most about this style of chenin blanc?
This wine is a demonstration in how chenin blanc can be made in a way that may not be the recent tradition for the variety. It involved select hand-picking, old-vine fruit (1930 and 1963 plantings) and whole-bunch pressing with wild barrel ferment (40% new).
How should we enjoy this wine?
This is a statement wine and designed to age for many years to come. Complex and interesting, it should be enjoyed during its development as it continuously evolves and establishes itself as a discussion point. $30, nikolaestate.com.au @nikolaestate
4 2020 TRIP E. ISCARIOT ABSOLUTION WILYABRUP CHENIN BLANC
Wine region: Margaret River, WA
Freshly cut white pear, bees wax and verbena, cut with deeper tones of dried meadow grass and wet granite. Coating white tannin and bristling acidity culminate in a balanced core of porcelain and gravel.
What do you love most about this style of chenin blanc?
I believe in texture above all else, especially in chenin blanc. Though it might have many beguiling aromas, the true beauty and intricacy of the grape is seen in its flavour, physical presence and the sensations it can conjure.
How should we enjoy this wine?
It may only be an olfactory memory of mine that makes this pairing seem appropriate, but I feel chenin blanc is best enjoyed on the coast, imbued with the aromas of burning wood and charred meat. $34, tripeiscariot.com @tripe.iscariot
5 2020 WINES OF MERRITT WILYABRUP CHENIN
Wine region: Margaret River, WA
An enticing mix of spiced apples, lanolin and white pepper with a salty tang. There’s mouthfilling texture balanced by zesty, fresh acidity. Layered complexity coupled with elegance; mineral and vibrant.
What do you love most about this style of chenin blanc?
We love the racy, energetic line that chenin from cooler sites can deliver. This is from a Wilyabrup vineyard four kilometres from the Indian Ocean, close-planted in the 1980s. Wild fermented in older barriques, it was aged nine months, then bottled without fining or filtration. The result is layers of texture, flavour and vibrancy.
How should we enjoy this wine?
Enjoy gently chilled, this wine sits well with marron or whole-baked fish. A favourite pairing at Casa Merritt is roast pork with crackling and home-made apple sauce. Perfect with friends on sunny afternoons. $40, winesofmerritt.com.au @winesofmerritt
6 2021 OAKOVER CHENIN BLANC
Wine region: Swan Valley, WA
Pale crystalline in colour, lifted aromatics of white jasmine, grapefruit, and lemon meringue. The palate shows the very allusive character of a perfectly unripe strawberry.
What do you love most about this style of chenin blanc?
Its drinkability and wide appeal. It’s a white wine from the Swan Valley that has moderate alcohol (11.5%), aromatics and balance with flavour that makes it a pleasure to drink. Its appeal is in its ease.
How should we enjoy this wine?
On a Sunday afternoon, with calamari salad and the kids are at the grandparents. The wine is unashamedly light and bright, so share it chilled, first cab off the rank. $14, oakoverwines.com.au @oakover_wines