#chenincheninchenin

Beginning a new estate is never easy, let alone at the tender age of 24. However, in 2010, winemaker wunderkind Sylvain Dittière did just that. He began his journey by purchasing organically farmed grapes from a local grower before buying his own plots, and now owns 15 acres of his own vineyards. Over the last decade, his reputation for incredible expression of both Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc have continued to grow year on year. La Perlée is a blend of two plots within Anjou, with an average vine age of more than 60 years and 90 years between them. It sees around 24 months of aging in used barriques and demi-muids (larger barrels). His cellar remains very cool year round, providing the ideal conditions for his longer élevage. The wines are built with a crystalline acidity, a restrained fruit expression and a saline expression of minerality. Sylvain’s partner is the daughter of the late Charly Foucault – the former owner of the legendary Clos Rougeard and one of the greats of the Loire, from whom he gained incredible insights into the craft. The wines made by Dittière are ones to watch as he continues to rise through the ranks of the greats for Chenin production. 

Founded in 1928, Domaine Huet has long been one of the iconic benchmark producers within Vouvray. They have three plots that are amongst the top vineyards of Vouvray: Le Haut-Lieu, Le Mont and Le Clos du Bourg. Le Clos du Bourg is a 6-hectare stone-walled Clos located just above the church in Vouvray, and has a very thin topsoil over a limestone base. All the grapes are hand-harvested, with multiple tries (passes through vineyard for harvest) corresponding to the different styles that are produced. It is common to have more than three styles of wine produced from a single vineyard that correspond to varying degrees of residual sugar in the wines. The wines of Huet are known for their legendary aging potential in particularly sweeter styles, with the estate regularly releasing older vintages to the market. Fermentation is slow and undergoes natural fermentation in a combination of various oak barrels and stainless steel tanks. The only chemical added is some sulphur dioxide after fermentation is finished, along with a light filtration before bottling. The estate has applied biodynamic practices for over 25 years. 

Le Clos du Bourg’s limestone-rich soil gives a roundness to the wine whilst still remaining well-framed by its acidity. Sec, meaning dry in French, represents their driest style. With just a small amount of residual sugar and a high level of acidity, it finishes dry and clean on the palate. The sugar here helps to balance the acidity and provides a textured mouthfeel. Huet’s expression of Chenin demonstrates the variety’s proclivity towards a wooly character (chemically known as lanolin), balanced by its fruit expression. A wine that is not only a delight to drink now, but also one that will be even more rewarding with 5-10 years in the cellar if you’re able to hold out that long! 

Born into pedigreed winemaking royalty in Margaret River from the lineage of both icons Pierro and Cullen, Nic Peterkin was destined to work with grapes. Forging a different path from the family’s estates, Nic aims to challenge the status quo in one of the country’s most highly regarded wine producing regions. He largely eschews the traditional varieties of Maragret River in favour of alternatives which he believes suit the climate and conditions, using varieties as Touriga Nacional, Sousao and Chenin Blanc. CBDB stands for “Chenin Blanc Dynamic Blend” where the fruit is drawn from Margaret River’s oldest biodynamic vineyard for Chenin Blanc. Fermentation is natural, or wild, in a combination of French barriques and clay amphora. It stays on its lees and is stirred every fortnight to help build texture and body, for around 10 months before being bottled with no fining or filtration. 

L.A.S. (Luck Art Science) Vinois is one of the most promising ‘new guards’ coming from Australia, with quality wines that challenge the paradigm and expectations from the region. Known to be unafraid to speak his mind and make his thoughts known on a number of topics, Nic’s wines similarly speak of their own personality and presence. 

James and Annie Millton have been at the forefront of biodynamic viticulture in New Zealand, having pioneered the country’s first organic and biodynamic estate not long after their establishment in 1984. Located in the east of the North Island, they sit very close to the sea, with the Te Arai vineyard just five kilometres away. Te Arai roughly translates to “the place where you pause before going on towards the land of eternal sunshine”. The Milltons have developed an international reputation for their Chenin Blanc and have produced one of the finest New World examples of the variety. In 2008, it was included in the book ‘1001 Wines You Must Try Before You Die’ published by Penguin. 

Commitment to quality means that up to four selections are made in the vineyard, ensuring that only the healthiest grapes are selected. Fermentation and maturation take place in a combination of demi-muids; in this instance, 600L oak barrels and stainless steel tanks. The wine is then bottled without fining or filtration. While incredibly approachable and delicious in its youth, the wine has an aging potential of up to a decade. Its acidity keeps it taut and vibrant, with a delicate wooly note characteristic of Chenin Blanc.  

Dirty & Rowdy is a story that began in 2010 with two close friends, Hardy Wallace (Dirty) and Matt Richardson (Rowdy) and their wives bringing to life an exciting example of a new age winery. Having worked at the iconic Corison winery, Hardy teamed up with Matt to make wine under the motif of “We don’t make wine by numbers, recipes, or additions, but we aren’t zealots … unless we’re talking about that spicy fried chicken.” They focus on French varieties, with their Chenin Blanc being a small production. It comes from a vineyard called ‘City of 10,000 Buddhas’ where they have around 3 acres of Chenin Blanc that are approximately 60 years old. The vineyard is dry-grown and farmed organically. The winemaking style is minimalistic, with no additions through the process. The wine is aged for 7 months in a combination of large 600L barrels and 10 year old French barriques. Bottled young, it captures Chenins’ myriad youthful aromas of nashi pears, fresh wool and quince notes over a rocky minerality. 

The wines of Dirty & Rowdy are hotly sought-after the world over, with demand far outweighing supply. They represent a great expression of New Wave California, displaying the exciting promise that the region holds.

Despite being native to Loire Valley, Chenin Blanc has most certainly found a secondary home in South Africa, where it is planted twice as much as compared to France. A number of leading producers within South Africa have been making distinct and exciting examples of the variety, and amongst that top tier are certainly David and Nadia Sadie. Having studied together, with David focusing on viticulture & oenology and Nadia on soil science & viticulture – they made their first wine together in 2010 as a side project. By 2013, David made the David & Nadia label his sole focus, with Nadia coming on full time at the start of 2016. 

The label works with organically grown, old vineyards within the Swartland across its many types of soils that it sits on. The David & Nadia Chenin Blanc is drawn from vines planted between 1962 and 1984 on a combination of soils including granite, shale, clay and iron-rich soils from 7 different vineyards. David & Nadia maintains respect for the healthy fruit by treating the juice as naturally and minimally as possible. It ferments naturally and is aged for 11 months in old neutral French oak barrels, which have no oaky impact on the wine. As members of the Swartland Independent Producers, David and Nadia’s commitment towards protecting the heritage and legacy of South African vines is exemplified by the Certified Heritage Vineyards (CHV) seal on their wines and their participation in the Old Vine Project (OVP) in the region.