Chenin Blanc is a white grape variety that appears to produce wines built to last eternally. While many Chenin Blanc wines are somewhat insipid, at their best they compete with the finest of any varietal. For the most part the best Chenin Blanc wines start young, with a level of acidity that disprove the sweetness waiting to mature; as these wines age, they develop a full, smooth body that is unrivaled in nearly any other wine. A good Chenin Blanc can continue improving for over a decade, and can apparently last eternally.
Chenin Blanc is a predominantly resourceful grape that is used to create dry white wines, sparkling wines, dessert wines and brandy. It provides a somewhat neutral taste for the appearance of terroir, vintage variation and the winemaker’s treatment. In cooler areas the juice is sweet but high in acid with a full-bodied fruity varietal taste. In the variable summers of northern France, the acidity of under developed grapes was often masked with inadequate outcomes; despite the fact that now the less developed grapes are made into popular sparkling wines such as Crémant de Loire. The white wines of Anjou are possibly the greatest appearance of Chenin as a dry wine, with flavors of quince and apples. In nearby Vouvray they intend for an off-dry style, cultivating honey and floral distinctiveness with age. In the best vintages the grapes can be left on the vines to develop noble rot, producing an intense, viscous dessert wine which will improve considerably with age.
The best depiction of the Chenin Blanc grape can be found in the Loire Valley of France more specifically, the regions of Vouvray, Savennieres, Anjou and Samur. The adaptability of the grape permits it to produce wines both dry and sweet, still and sparkling and you can find all examples in the Loire. It’s found in South Africa as well, where it’s called Steen and is usually made in the dry style.
In California, the wines made from Chenin Blanc have a tendency to be mass produced wines for common use, and as such are significantly more unbiased in tone and character than the Loire Valley Vouvrays. Much of this has to do with the amount of yield the vines are pushed to, with California Chenin Blanc producing many times the grapes as those in the Loire Valley. It is rare for Chenin Blanc to be combined with any other grape, particularly in its sweeter incarnations. When it is matched with another grape, however, it tends to be combined with either Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, both of which complement Chenin Blanc’s acidity.
