Alliance members shining bright in Australia’s Best Chenin list
The Chenin renaissance has been spectacular to observe here in the Margaret River Wine Region.
From the sweet iterations of the 80s and 90s – to the layered, refined mineral interpretations we see today. It has been quite a journey – and our little south west pocket is shining bright when it comes to producing some damn fine Chenin here in WA.
A huge congratulations to Marri Wood Park and South by South West who, this week, have been named in the TOP 6 CHENIN BLANC in Australia.
Published by Young Gun Wines, this third instalment of the Deep Dive: Australia’s Best Chenin is yet another superb insight into the progression of Chenin in our local industry. From their guide:
Chenin blanc is the heroic white variety of France’s Loire Valley, making wines up and down the scale, from vibrant and carefree sparklings to lusciously sweet whites that are some of the world’s most long-lived wines.
But the grape also excels out of the cool of the Loire, being South Africa’s most important white variety, while also thriving in the heat of Western Australia’s Swan Valley where a renaissance is in full swing.
With ample producers dedicated to elevating the grape, a Deep Dive was called for, so we gathered as many bottlings as we could find and enlisted the help of eight of this country’s finest palates to check in to see just where Australian chenin blanc is at.
Marri Wood Park’s 2022 Chenin Blanc captivated the panel; it was Carbonneau and Vigier’s top wine of the day, with Szyman and Gelot also including in their top three selections.
“Nose is elegant and compelling with lovely florals and white pear,” said Carbonneau.
“Palate is excellent, with good flavour, intensity and concentration. Great balance and length. A fine wine. The complexity in the fruit profile is extraordinary, showing maturity in winemaking, excellence in viticulture,” declared Vigier.
“The oak is well-integrated into the wine, bringing these extra layers of spices. Lots of fleshy summer orchard fruits that mingle with some savoury cheesy character cut by saline mineral and bright acidity,” concurred Gelot.
“There’s a little spice there too showcasing some clever winemaking techniques and makes the wine taste expensive,” concluded Szyman.
Also shining in our nation’s top 6 – South by South West’s Margaret River 2022 Chenin Blanc which stood out in the top selections of the panel.
This was Snook’s second top wine of the tasting, with Carbonneau including it in her top three, and Gelot also had it among her top-six wines:
“Playing the hand of the winemaker, you can straight away tell this is a well-made wine,” said Snook.
“There has been some sexy French oak thrown at this but it’s very well integrated with the delicate fruit and floral profiles still shining as the leading role. On the nose, you are met with ripe yellow pear, candied apples, white florals, and a sweet hint of bronze fennel fronds. On the pallet this is classically chenin ,” wrote Carbonneau.
“Palate is opened and textured. Pear and flowers. A gastronomic wine for sure. On the palate, the attack is lively but then the wine mellows in the mid palate,” noted Gelot.
“Textural yet showing great minerality at the end. Great concentration too. Pear and quince, as well as lemon curd. The fruit is vibrant and generous. After some time the wine started showing some secondary characters, soft baking spice, toasted bread. A wine that shows some clever winemaking techniques.”
Australia’s Best Chenin Blanc is judged by an expert panel. All wines were tasted blind, and each panellist names their top six wines.
The panel: Chris Ryan, Senior Wine Buyer, Trader House Group; Isabelle Szyman, Rathdowne Cellars Wine Buyer; Sophie Carbonneau, National Sales Manager Bibendum Wine Co.; Abby Moret, owner Atlas Vinifera; Jeremy Prideaux, Principal Wine; Xavier Vigier DipWSET, Wine Buyer/Advisor/Head Sommelier Mr Claremont Wines; Coralie Gelot, Beverage Manager, The Windsor Hotel Group. All wines were tasted blind.