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Wooded Chenin Blanc Tasting - 26th March '24

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On the 26th of March, we tasted how wooding affects Chenin Blanc. In this tasting we only tasted wines that were 100% Chenin Blanc. We also only tasted wines that were wooded, no concrete eggs or tanks, no clay amphorae or cubes. Notes detailing chemical analysis, viticulture practices, winemaking and the winemakers tasting notes were given to each taster. Thanks kindly to Danie Steytler for the notes on the “Granietkop”. Also handed to each taster was a spreadsheet detailing all the wooded Chenin Blanc’s available at Makro, Norman Goodfellows, Liquor city and Woolworths (which included the winemaking of each wine). Tasters were also given a Chenin Blanc aroma wheel, thanks Chenin Blanc association page for that. These notes, spreadsheet and aroma wheel are available upon request. Wines were tasted cold, in the same flight, and tasted in progression of an increase in the wooding of the wine. The following is the tasting, the notes made from the tasters comments and the average scores for each wine.

 

1.     Badenhorst Secateur Chenin Blanc 2023 (Vineyards planted in the 1960’s and early 1970’s, 40% old bush vines)

Colour- light green to golden. Nose- orange blossoms, honey suckle, citrus, peach, raisins. Palate- crisp acidity, raspberry(?), raisins, peach, pineapple, juicy red apples that linger to the finish.

Score- 16.50.


2.    Villiera Chenin Blanc 2022

Colour- golden to almost hay coloured. Nose- smoky, vanilla, fynbos, grassy, wet wool, toasty, farmyard, rubbery, elastoplast? Palate- crisp acidity, pineapple, slight oxidative component, lemon, slightly thin? This wine was quite stinky and was not well liked.

Score- 15.50.


3.    Mulderbosch “Steen op Hout” Chenin Blanc 2022

Colour- light green, with a slight yellowing on the rim. Nose- stone fruits, melon, tinned peas, toast, sweet peach. Palate- crisp acidity, spice, peach, lemon, melon, with a toasty finish. Mixed response, most struggling to find the fruit.

Score- 15.75.


4.    Kaapzicht “Granietkop” Chenin Blanc 2023 (Heritage vineyards planted in 1947, 1980, 1982 and 1985)

Colour- light green. Nose- violets, tropical with pineapples, pear, honey, pear drops, Starkling apples. Palate- crisp acidity, Starkling apples, pears, peaches and cream that lingers to the finish, lively fruit acids on the palate.

Score- 16.75.


5.    Mullineux “Kloof Street” Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2022 (Indigenous, wild yeasts)

Colour- light green, gradating to a golden rim. Nose- spice, peach, pineapple, melon, citrus, toast and vanilla. Palate- crisp acidity, citrus with orange and lemons, creamy peaches, apricots, pineapple, spice, melon, with a lingering peach finish.

Score- 16.88.


6.    Anthonij Rupert, Cape of Good Hope “Riebeekrivier” Chenin Blanc 2020 (Indigenous, wild yeasts)

Colour- light green, gradating to a golden rim (the lightest of all the wines tasted). Nose- citrus including lemons and limes, bee wax, buttery, honey, pineapple. Palate- crisp acidity, initially a slight green component with celery, spices including pepper, mint, lemon, lime, melon, full juicy palate, with a nutty component of almonds, and a honeyed fruity finish.

Score- 17.38 (6th best wine tasted this year out of 64 wines, taste in 2024).

 

A very interesting tasting, with some yummy wines. All the wines changed massively, two of them became allot worse and two much better. The Villiera many thought had something wrong with it and became stinky and rubbery. We will have to taste this wine again, at another time. The Mulderbosch, just lost its fruit, and ended almost in a whimper. The wines that stood out were the indigenous yeast fermented wines, which had a greater richness in them, and developed beautiful rich flavours in the wooding. The Riebeekrivier, which was much older than the rest, was the lightest in colour and the greenest. Top wine was the Riebeekrivier, followed by Mullineux and the Kaapzicht just 0.125 down on that. The Badenhorst and the Kaapzicht were lively and fresh. Badenhorst receives a special mention as it is harvested from vineyards that are picked over 12 days. The fresh juice from each vineyard is added to already fermenting tanks, which extends the fermentation by about 20 days.

 

All the tasters enjoyed the progression of wooding and the tasting of wines with the wild yeast fermentation. Thanks to everyone who attended, and for the comments made!

 

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