Chenin Blanc

An interesting wine.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has almonds, grapefruits, slight chalk and a hint of salinity.  medium bodied.  On the palate, those qualities came out as well.  Very nice acidity.  Overall, a bit reticent but refreshing.  Perhaps because it came in a 500ml bottle, but I presumed it would be at least semi-sweet.  Not to be, but it did work well with home made vegan ginger snaps.  Well made Vouvray can last a long time as this showed no real signs of age.  I wouldn't worry about another five or ten years.  

As I said in a prior review. Sandlands makes my favorite US Chanin Blanc.  Light golden in color.  The nose is very nice  with wax, orange peel, minerals and slight lemon.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, there is a nice depth.  The orange peel comes thru with a slight waxy note.  Good energy.  Nice balance.  Long finish.  This drank great on its own after a tasting of 12 different Lodi Zins.  It really cut thru and cleaned the palate and was delicious.  drink over the next seven to ten years.  This is one mailing list I highly recommend that you join.  

This sweet Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley in France so no signs of ageing at all.  Light yellow/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has pears, honey, white peaches, with a bit of crushed shells and salinity.  Full bodied.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, this is sweet but just a bit, certainly not cloying.  Good acidity.  The honey, peaches and and minerality come thru.  A very long finish.  This wine is deep and stops the drinker in his or her tracks.  It drinks great on its own and might be harder to match with food.  A not too sweet shortbread cookie or a soft goat cheese wo

From one of the top producers in the Loire Valley in France comes this great value in dry Chenin Blanc.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with orange peel, sea air and minerality.  Medium bodied.  Great texture.  Dry.  On the palate, there is quince, slight salinity and underlying minerality.  Nice acidity.  Long finish.  This is delicious on its own and will work well with lighter foods and also Thai food.  This is drinking well right now and should continue to do so for ten to twelve more years.  

Sandlands makes some of the best Chenin Blanc in the US.  Now, that might be faint praise for some, but theirs stands up to anyone's in the world too.  Light silvery/gold in color with a touch of copper.  The nose is very minerally with some orange peel.  Medium bodied with a slightly oily texture.  The minerality really comes thru to the palate, but there is also some tangerine notes and a hint or herbs.  Good balance.  Refreshing.  Nice finish.  This is drinking great now, but Chenin can age well.  This won't make really old bones, but another seven to ten years is not out of the question

This is an outstanding white from South Africa.  It is a blend of 80% Chenin Blanc, 13% Clairette and 7% Viognier.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is enticing with orange peel, lemon, wax, honey and minerals.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, it feels like it will be sweet but is not.  Dry.  Lots of layers with lemon and orange over minerals.  Complex.  It is one of those wines that forces on to pay attention.  Long finish.  At age seven, this is young, vibrant with plenty of energy.  There is some development but more is coming.  There is some mint on the long finish.  This sho

What a beautiful wine.  At age 15, this has settled into a nice sweet spot.  Sealed with a screw cap.  Golden in color, but too dark.  The nose is big with dried honey, pears, orange peel and salinity.  Full bodied and slightly viscous.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet.  Delicious with great minerality.  Oranges and honey over minerals.  Still showing youthful with lots of verve.  Long finish.  This should easily go another fifteen to twenty years.  It works great on its own and will work with less sweet or fruit based desserts (especially pears or oranges).  

Another gorgeous bottle from one of the top producers of Vouvray.  Light golden in color.  The nose is great.  Lots of minerality with pears, quince and saline.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  Ripe quince and orange peel with underlying minerality.  Great smooth texture.  Nice balance.  Long finish.  This is slightly sweet but certainly not overt.  This should last for a couple of decades although Huet has had some issues with random bottles prematurely oxidizing.  Still, laying a few down and drinking some young is a nice strategy.  This drinks great on its own and would work well

Huet is perhaps my favorite producer of Chenin Blanc in the world.  These are wines that will last for decades and drink well young (with a bit of air).  This is one is demi-sec or off dry.  Light golden in color, shimmering bright.  The nose is pretty with orange peel, slight peach, sea air and minerals.  Medium to full bodied.  Slightly sweet but not cloying, which is nicely balanced by acidity.  Delicious with flavors or oranges apples and peaches over a mineral base.  Long finish.  If well stored, this should drink well for fifteen more years or more.  Lovely on its own, it will work ni

This is a Chenin Blanc from the central part of the Loire Valley.  Medium "olde" gold in color  with just a touch of copper.  The nose is very nice with lots of minerals, a bit of salinity and some orange peel.  On the palate, this is dry.  Nice citrus with some orange pith and underlying minerality.  Slightly tart on the finish.  A lovely, slightly oily texture.  Chenin ages very well and this is still drinking well.