THE CHENIN Blanc Association has retracted a statement posted on social media about a new rule applying to their annual Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge that would have limited the number of winning wines per entrant as from the 2026 edition of the competition. As reported earlier on Top Wine SA, the Association had stated that: “While producers may enter multiple wines, only one wine per producer can be included in the final Top 10.” However, according to the Association's Abi Mitton: “We have subsequently reviewed that communication and recognise that the wording did not reflect the final position for the 2026 Challenge.”
“In short,” confirmed the Association's Ken Forrester, “there are no new rules… The competition this year and for the foreseeable future will be run as it has been run in the past.”
“For clarity,” said Mitton, “no one-wine-per-producer restriction was applied to the 2026 judging process, and no restriction was applied to the number of wines from an individual producer that could be selected among the Top 10. The wines were judged on their individual merits, and the judging process was conducted blind, with labels out of sight. We use external adjudicators to ensure that the process is undertaken fairly and independently, without bias towards any producer.”
The earlier post on Top Wine SA including comment about the competition rules also listed the names of the finalists in the 2026 Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge, as announced by the organisers on social media. And, as has happened on previous occasions, among the Top 20 are multiple entries by Stellenbosch wine producer Stellenrust. Theoretically, with no limit imposed on the number of winning wines per entrant, the Mothership 2025, Stellenrust Barrel Fermented 2025 and Stellenrust Old Bush Vine 2025 could all be among the Top 10 due to be announced on 11 September. In 2025, Stellenrust won with their Stellenbosch Manor, Stellenbosch Manor Barrel Fermented and B28 Chenin Blancs…