WHAT a lovely collection of stories and images associated with the 2019 edition of the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge! A new label on David Nieuwoudt’s Five Generations. Classical music playing to the vines and wines at Wendy Appelbaum’s DeMorgenzon. A tribute to Cape Town’s company gardens (artwork on back label). A river analogy from Flagstone. A flagship from Ken Forrester, THE SA Chenin ambassador. Two interpretations from Kobus Basson’s Kleine Zalze. A Slanghoek mountain legend. The Mothership from Stellenrust that’s not from Stellenrust. A Chenin from the Dorringtons and the ‘Pope’ of Pinotage. And that’s only the half of it!

There are now more Chenin vines in South African than there are in France. According to the Chenin Blanc Association, the success of the variety has been such that that whereas it was once virtually exclusive to two nations, it is now farmed in 23 countries around the world and covers over 33 000 hectares, more than 17 000 of which are in South Africa. Five of the 2019 Challenge winners qualified for the Old Vine Project’s Heritage Vineyard Certification (35 years plus) and one, the yet-to-be-released Mothership, was made from the grapes of 55-year-old vines planted in Bottelary, Stellenbosch.

Eighty-seven wine producers participated in the Challenge and 150 entries were judged by a panel comprising Masters of Wine Cathy van Zyl (chair) and Richard Kershaw, retailer James Pietersen (Wine Cellar), with sommeliers Joseph Dhafana (La Colombe) and Fabien Laine (France). Interesting to see Stellenbosch continuing to dominate, a good showing for the Cederberg and Tulbagh, another winner from the Breedekloof, and/but no stars from Bot River, Citrusdal or the Swartland on this occasion.

CHALLENGE WINNERS

Cederberg Five Generations Chenin Blanc 2017
R230pb from the cellar, Cederberg

DeMorgenzon Reserve Chenin Blanc 2018
R395pb from the cellar, Stellenbosch Kloof

Durbanville Hills Collectors Reserve Cape Garden Chenin Blanc 2018
R150pb from the cellar, Durbanville

Flagstone Tributary Bush Vine Chenin Blanc 2018
R110 from the cellar, Somerset West

Ken Forrester FMC Chenin Blanc 2018
R550pb from Helderberg cellar, Stellenbosch

Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Old Bush Vine Chenin Blanc 2018
R210pb from the cellar, Stellenbosch

Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Chenin Blanc 2018
R108pb from the cellar, Stellenbosch

Legends Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2017
R210pb from Slanghoek cellar, Breedekloof

Mothership Chenin Blanc 2018
R480pb from Artisinal Boutique Winery, Stellenbosch

Rijk’s Touch of Oak Chenin Blanc 2017
R110pb from the cellar, Tulbagh

SA Chenin Classification here.