THE POWERS that be at Winemag.co.za delay the announcement of exactly how the panel rated their South African favourites in the publication’s various category reviews – a Top 10 is all they’ll tell us in each instance until divulging the rankings / scores out of 100 and the names of all the winners at a gala function come the end of the year. That said, the best-value wines among the judges’ preferences in their Prescient-sponsored 2020 Chenin Blanc Report appear to be the 2019 Stellenrust (unwooded) at R68 a bottle and Mulderbosch’s 2019 Steen op Hout (wooded) at R85pb – the average price of the submissions given as just over R247pb.

Most of Winemag’s top-rated SA Chenins have established credentials and none more so than those of the DeMorgenzon Reserve, its impressive track record reflected in the SA Wine Classification and Hall of Fame. There were 88 entries from 57 producers. Stellenbosch cellars dominated, with some of the leading WO Swartland producers apparently not confident enough to submit their wines for assessment. On the panel: Winemag’s Christian Eedes (chair), with fine wine merchants Roland Peens and James Pietersen of Wine Cellar in Cape Town.

WINEMAG’S TOP 10 CHENINS

Bellingham Bernard Series Old Vine 2018
R250pb at cellar-door, Franschhoek

DeMorgenzon Reserve 2018
R430pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch Kloof

Eden High Density Single Vineyard 2018
R800pb from Raats Family Wines, Stellenbosch

Lievland Old Vine 2019
R150pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch

Mulderbosch Steen op Hout 2019
R85pb ex-cellar, Polkadraai Hills in Stellenbosch

Simonsig Avec Chêne 2017
R195pb ex-cellar, Koelenhof in Stellenbosch

Skeleton Bay 2019
R145 from Schultz Family Wines, Stellenbosch

Stellenrust 2019
R68pb ex-cellar, Helderberg in Stellenbosch

Villion Henning 2018
R190pb – Bot River producer

Vrede en Lust Kogelberg 2017
R160pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Paarl