Chenin Blanc's new day: How South Africa is redefining the grape

The positive sea change in South African wine is one of the most exciting wine stories of the past decade. It has taken close to 30 years to fully emerge from the dark days of Apartheid and what is currently happening is nothing short of breathtaking. The Western Cape brings so much intrigue with its ancient soils and its unique climactic conditions which allow for a wide range of grape expressions that create a unique identity for South African wines. As producers learn more and home in on the places that are extremely special, we are starting to see the delicious fruits of their labor.

At the heart of this amazing success story is Chenin Blanc. Chenin has been the backbone of the South African wine industry for centuries now. It’s hard to trace down exactly when it arrived, but it likely arrived in the early-17th century from French Hugenot settlers. That history has enabled it to basically be the backbone of the South African wine industry, and it currently accounts for almost 20% of the country’s plantings. It doesn’t dominate South Africa’s grape growing in the way that Sauvignon Blanc does for New Zealand, but it wouldn’t be far off to say that Chenin Blanc is a signature grape for South Africa.

Chenin has taken extremely well to South Africa’s unique climate. South Africa has a much higher latitude than one would correlate with the Northern Hemisphere (basically think where LA is) for winemaking. It sits at the intersection point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans while also receiving strong, cold currents from Antarctica. What this does is create a lot of wind that thickens the grapes and cools everything down while still existing in a Mediterranean climate. This works perfectly on the Cape (where our focus is) in creating complex, citrus-driven Chenin Blancs with racy acidity. The climate also works hand in hand with the array of old vines that exist in the Cape. South Africa is home to some of the oldest Chenin vines that have taken to dry and organic farming like a moth to a light. The Cape doesn’t receive much rain, and the wind makes sure that fungal diseases aren’t much of an issue. What this means for all of us is that we get to experience the talent of the winegrowers and winemakers as they reduce the yields and weave a style that is their own.

What has really struck me in tastings and at the HellaChenin! festival in Berkeley California is the wide range of styles and overall excellence across the board. This is a grape that is on the up in the New World and South Africa really makes it shine. Yes, there are the fresh and lively styles that are affordable and they present an excellent value. Producers like Raats and Brookdale’s Mason Road bottlings bring so much value and joy that it is hard to put the wines down. These are wines that are perfect for summer sipping or something to reach for when you just want something tasty. They are accessible and the perfect introduction into South African Chenin while being easy on the wallet.

The greatest feather in their cap is how much South Africa is delivering in the premium categories. This is where I feel the wines are shining and present an immense value to consumers. If you are someone that wants to start a cellar or wants to add diversity to your cellar that deliver the goods at extremely reasonable prices for what they are, then this is where your focus needs to be. Brookdale yet again shows right up with their Old Vine bottling while producers like Rall and Luddite show off some of the upper reaches that the grape can achieve in South Africa. The best part, all of these wines bring such a wide range of styles. The main theme on many of these is: freshness. Those winds that come in from the Cape really work a lot of magic in keeping tension in the wines without going too far into an overripe category. And if that isn’t what you’re necessarily looking for in Chenin, there are also plenty of wines that go more into the broad-shouldered and waxy category that many Loire Chenin lovers will be familiar with. These are wines that are thrilling and yet, extremely affordable for what they deliver. Simply put, if you are someone who loves high acid white wines that have some breadth to them, you need to seek these wonderful wines out and have them in your glass.

Below are some recent highlights of South African Chenin that I’ve tasted:

2024 Rall Chenin Blanc Noa- South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

This is something serious right off the bat. There is excellent depth as it draws you in with a good amount of pears, stone fruits, sweet lemon peels, green apples, red apples, kumquat, and a whole bunch of acacia and white flowers that really surround the citrus notes. The Medium bodied feel is textured, deep, and balanced as it just coats the palate while showing off mouthwatering, high acidity that is crisp and refreshing. This is fantastic. There is so much going on while still clearly showing a fair bit of youth. Some age would likely benefit this, but I would have a hard time keeping my hands off of bottles if I had some. (93 pts.)

2023 Brookdale Vineyards Chenin Blanc Old Vine- South Africa, Coastal Region, Paarl

This shows off more of a broad shouldered and contemplative quality as this leans more into the waxy and lanolin qualities of the grape. The fruit is a touch subdued and balanced with red apples, lemon curds, kumquats, nectarines, vanilla beans, saline, yellow flowers, and honeysuckle tones. There is excellent depth and balance, yet it feels like it is holding back a touch on the nose. The Medium/full bodied feel has more broad shoulders and stature while the high acidity has some good bite and sharpness that let you know it is still quite young. This is one that I would love to see develop over time. There is a lot to like already while there is clearly more in the tank for it to give. (92 pts.)

2024 Vulpes Wines Chenin Blanc Velox- South Africa, Olifants River, Citrusdal

The nose is vibrant and fresh with a flinty-minerality that strikes off the bat before giving way to tones of green apples, pears, acacia flowers, meyer lemons, spring florals, citrus peels, saline, and sea spray notes that bring tension along with the freshness. The Medium bodied feel shows off the vibrancy of the nose while possessing sharp and mouthwatering, high acidity that has a lot of cut. This is an acid-lover’s delight as possesses a lot of tension and freshness while still showing off stature. This is immensely drinkable now and I would love to see where this goes with some age. It would be difficult to put a glass down at the moment, but some patience could see this kick it up a notch or two. (91 pts.)

2023 Luddite Wines Chenin Blanc- South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Bot River

This pours a light gold color. Despite the darker color, there is so much vibrancy and fragrance to the flowing tones of Red apples, pears, nectarines, herbs, green tea, whote fruits, apple blossoms, spice notes, vanilla beans, creams, saline, and quince. There is excellent depth as this is a glass of intrigue and balance. The Medium bodied feel is balanced and vibrant with tart, high acidity that has some serious cut. This is a real knock out! There is room for it to grow and develop as it feels on the back of the best right now. Don’t let the deeper color fool you, this is a vibrant Chenin that brings serious quality. (92 pts.)

2024 Scions of Sinai Granietsteen- South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

The nose is pristine and flowing with fresh and complex tones of Saline, red apples, vanilla, apple blossoms, a touch of almond paste, nectarines, crushed rocks, flint, a bit of lemon curd tones, and some waxy notes. This shows excellent depth with a bit of precision. The Medium bodied feel shows odd the pristine quality of the nose as well as good depth and balance with racy, high acidity. The acidity really makes your mouth water and shows off some real cut. This is wonderful now, but I can see this adding more layers with even a few more years of aging. (92 pts.)