South Africa's Signature Grape
KapWeine Top 5 Recommendation
Until the late 1990s, Chenin Blanc was the workhorse of the South African wine industry – the main grape variety used for distilling brandy and also the base for most commercial white blends. But in the last three decades, Chenin Blanc's value, both in terms of price and perception, has skyrocketed. Today, Chenin Blanc still accounts for 18.6% of the planted area in the Cape.
In one of the largest tastings ever conducted by Decanter, 223 cuvées from all over South Africa were tasted. 28 wines were rated as outstanding and 108 as highly recommended.
The Top 5 Chenin Blancs at KapWeine
From the outstanding 28 (97-95 Points by Decanter), we present to you today our top 5 Chenin Blanc wines.
BEST HIT
Top Sale
David & Nadia
Plat’bos Chenin Blanc – 2020
CHF 59.00 instead of 75.00
98 Points by Tim Atkin
Aromas of ripe peach, grapefruit marmalade, blossoms, and complex yeast notes complement the toasted oak aromas in the wine. On the palate, it is clean with a beautiful texture and a long finish.
Vintage 2021
97 Points by Decanter
David and Nadia Sadie, based in Swartland, focus their efforts on organic, old, and dry bush vines. The Plat’bos from their single-vineyard range is a 100% Chenin Blanc from a vineyard planted in 1981, which they have managed since late 2013. The grapes are grown on a north-facing slope, and this was one of the earliest Chenin Blanc harvests for the 2021 vintage.
Greg Sherwood MW: A fine, crystalline example with complex notes of white peach, juicy acids, and a genuine, translucent clarity. A fabulous example of excellence.
Beverley Blanning MW: Yellow peaches and flint, good weight of rounded fruit, no heaviness and a distinctly mineral note. Rich and honeyed notes on the finish and creamy oak.
Roger Jones: Refined, elegant, granitic, slaty, chalky, then creamy. Liquid gold: delicate unwaxed lemon peel, caramelised lime zest, sweet white nuts, beautiful purity and a hint of delicate perfume.
BEST HIT
Killer Deal – from 6 bottles
Ken Forrester
The FMC – Chenin Blanc – 2020
CHF 43.90 instead of 59.00
95 Points by Vinous – Neal Martin
The culmination of what Ken Forrester considers the best expression of the grapes of this variety – an icon of Chenin, a challenge to the world! Rich, layered with dried apricots, vanilla, and honey. It will gain complexity with age.
Vintage 2021
96 Points by Decanter
The grapes for this wine from Ken Forrester's Icon Range come from a single bush vine plot in Stellenbosch, planted in the early 1970s. After careful selection, the wine was fermented with ambient yeasts in 400-liter oak barrels and then aged on its lees in the barrel for just under a year.
Greg Sherwood MW: Full of dried peaches, apple strudel, and brioche with a hint of tarte tatin. Intense, powerful, concentrated toffee apple, apple crumble, and caramelised notes on the finish. This is a big, rich, and oaked wine, but it works.
Beverley Blanning MW: Uplifting and beautiful nose, baked pineapple, acacia honey, and vanilla. Silky texture and dazzling bright fruit, with sparkling acidity. The oak supports the upfront, perfectly ripe fruit.
Roger Jones: Bright, fresh stone fruit, aromas of candied apples and sultanas. Multi-layered, fresh palate with racy acidity and gently caramelised pineapple. It has a beautiful purity, followed by a clean, refreshing citrus lime cut.
Wolf and Woman
Chenin Blanc – 2021
CHF 29.00
96 Points by VINEMAG SA
Pairs excellently with prawn ceviche with mango and avocado, crostini with figs and goat cheese, Vietnamese lemongrass beef with mung beans and sprouts, or squid with wasabi aioli.
Vintage 2021
96 Points by Decanter
Jolandie Fouché, the winemaker and founder of Wolf & Woman, started the project out of passion, which quickly developed into a full-time profession. Her Chenin Blanc is a blend from three vineyard sites, two from the granite soils of Paardeberg and one from the red iron of Malmesbury. The grapes were whole-bunch pressed, fermented, and aged in old 300-liter and 500-liter oak barrels.
Greg Sherwood MW: Top class – textured depth, beautiful concentration of yellow orchard fruits. Mineralité tightly interwoven and invigorated by fresh acidity, focused purity and mandarin peel length.
Beverley Blanning MW: Smoky, lightly oaked nose, notes of toasted almonds. Full flavour with beautiful mineral intensity and mild creaminess. Honey and wet stones on the finish. Extremely attractive.
Roger Jones: Glazed pineapple with ginger. Lush tangerine marmalade, structured and silky. Fabulously perfumed finish invigorated by silky lemon curd.
BEST HIT
Top Vintage
Thorne & Daughters
Cat’s Cradle – Chenin Blanc – 2017
CHF 39.00
92 Points by Vinous – Neal Martin
The 2017 Cat’s Cradle is John Seccombe's Chenin Blanc from a vineyard shared with Chris Alheit and Memento. It has a fairly rich bouquet of honey, pale yellow plums, and a slight petrol tincture. On the palate, it is balanced with a beautiful waxy texture, contrasted by fine acidity and a precise, beautifully defined finish.
Vintage 2021
95 Points by Decanter
The grapes for Cat’s Cradle come from an old bush vine vineyard in Langkloof on the granite soils of the Paardeberg mountains. The 2021 vintage brought much-needed winter rain after five years of drought. The wine is made with as little intervention as possible. It is whole-bunch pressed into old oak barrels, where it remains for fermentation, malolactic fermentation, and maturation. Only a minimum of SO2 is used throughout the process.
Greg Sherwood MW: A savoury "Marmite" flavour, earthy yellow fruits, musky undertones, a hint of chalk dust and a lively taste of sweet and sour fruits. Powerful and persistent.
Beverley Blanning MW: Mineral nose. Floats across the tongue, but its aromas are strict and mineral. Not a single hint of sweetness. Beautiful salty finish with a mineral bite.
Roger Jones: Juicy and fruit-driven with a dark note in the background. Sultanas and baked apples with a fresh hint of apple scent. Grippy and fresh.
Top Sale
Carinus
Polkadraai – Chenin Blanc – 2020
CHF 23.00 instead of 35.00
93 Points by VINEMAG SA
Pairs excellently with chicken or fish dishes.
Vintage 2020
95 Points by Decanter
Traditionally, Carinus focused on growing grapes for some of the largest South African producers, but in 2011, production from their own harvests began. The grapes for this cuvée come from vines grown on the decomposed granite soils of the Polkadraai Hills. The fruit was whole-bunch pressed and placed in concrete eggs for 10 months of fermentation.
Greg Sherwood MW: Wonderfully pure, mineral, granitic expression with intense peach and citrus fruit, salty, maritime notes, and a long, glassy, crystalline finish.
Beverley Blanning MW: Gentle toasted aromas. On the palate, you'll find honeyed lemon and baked apple fruit. Very palatable, good balance.
Roger Jones: Seductive stone fruit, gentle spices with citrus, fine pastry notes. Textured and fresh, steely and chalky, a hint of wet stone and gentle dried herbs and granite. A touch of Burgundy.
All prices in CHF incl. VAT. Daily price as of 14.03.2023.
Offers valid while stocks last. Errors and price changes reserved.
