GRAND CRU (PERTH) TASTING GROUP – CHENIN BLANC – 13 JUNE 2018

[Waiters Friend]

G’day

9 of us met at the Terrace Hotel in Perth for our monthly tasting group. In the four years or so that the group has been meeting, we’ve never looked at Chenin Blanc as a theme, so this promised to be an interesting event.

The wines were tasted blind, with the only information being the vintage – they were tasted from youngest to oldest. 10 wines were tasted in total.

2017 Testalonga El Bandito (South Africa). Dark yellow bordering on gold – very dark for a 2017 wine. The nose shows tangy dried apricot, brioche, a touch of smoke and sherry (hinting at a wine made oxidatively), pear, white grapefruit and, later, some licorice. It’s also nutty. The palate is initially chalky, with medium to high acid, a clean finish with salinity and nuttiness showing through. The wine is largely savoury, not especially fruit driven, and was lightly (if at all) filtered or fined.

2014 Domaine de la Poultiere Les Pierre Blanches Vouvray. 13% alcohol. Medium yellow in colour. Initially briney with white flowers, honeysuckle, orange, lemon, and a little honey. The palate shows some tangy kiwi fruit and pear, with some stewed apple, sherbet, cinnamon and cloves. Acid is high and is balanced by a lick of residual sugar. It finishes slightly short.

2014 Myattsfield Left Field Club Chenin Blanc (Perth Hills) A low 10.4% alcohol. Pale yellow in colour. The nose displays kiwi fruit, guava, some honeydew melon, green apple and lemon / line. It’s a light bodied wine, and a little thin on the palate; however the acid and underlying structure hint at a long life ahead.

2014 Voyager Estate Chenin Blanc (Margaret River) 13% alcohol. Very pale yellow in colour. Honeysuckle and kiwi fruit is slightly overshadowed by burnt toffee or peanut brittle. There’s under-ripe melon, some lime and hints of grapefruit. The palate shows more white grapefruit, high acid, and a slight bitterness leading to a medium finish.

2014 Pithon-Paille Muzaik (Loire) 13% alcohol. Yellow in colour. A perfumed, rose-scented soapy nose, with geranium, pot pourri, spearmint (!) and hazelnut chocolate. It’s reasonably rich and complex, in comparison with many of the other wines. The palate is tangy, spicy and complex, with good acid, some salinity, cloves and cinnamon. It finishes long.

2014 Michel Autran Ciel Rouge Vouvray. 14% alcohol. Dark yellow in colour. This really created a lot of conversation. Nose of burnt toffee, coconut, pineapple, rum & raisin, crème brulee and a little beeswax. This flowed through to the palate with coconut, vanilla, and pineapple juice. Acid is high, and there’s some tannic grip. It’s mouthfilling and leads to a slightly sharp finish. Unmasking the wine reveals that it was fermented in barrel.

2012 John Kosovich Chenin Blanc (Swan Valley). 13% alcohol. Light yellow with green tinges. The nose shows honeysuckle, white peaches and lanolin, while the palate is zesty, while being “soft and gentle”. Medium finish. One taster described it as “painfully young”.

2011 John Kosovich Chenin Blanc (Swan Valley). 13% alcohol. Yellow in colour. Not surprisingly, the tasting notes are similar to the previous wine (these were tasted blind) but this was a little richer, with lemon blossom and either oak influence or developed characters. The palate shows some tannic grip, implying older oak used for texture (or it could just be bottle age). There’s peaches and the acid adds to a wine that appears bright and vibrant. Only the acid follows through to the finish, however.

2012 Peel Estate Wood Aged Chenin Blanc (Geographe). 13.5% alcohol. This is the flagship white for this winery and has been for many years. Yellow in colour. There’s fennel, stewed apple with cloves, honey, hay or straw, cola, coffee, while the oak provides toast and nuttiness. There’s lots of tannic grip, savouriness, vanilla and spices, and the wine finishes reasonably long. It was described as being “made like a chardonnay”>

2010 Marc Bredif Vouvray. 13% alcohol. Pale yellow in colour, belying its age. First impression was of sweaty armpit (in a good way!), with lime cordial, fresh herbs (sage, oregano) and white flowers. The palate has a range of fruits (citrus, especially ripe nectarine) and some honey. Residual sugar is balanced by the supporting acid. It’s a well balanced wine and perfectly built for ageing.

Wine of the night was the 2010 Marc Bredif Vouvray, followed by the 2017 Testalonga El Bandito (albeit wildly differing styles). This tasting shows the variety and versatility this (sometimes under-rated) grape. It was also commented that, although the wines were not necessarily the greatest the group has ever tasted, they certainly promoted great conversation.

Cheers

[FredericoWines]

How come a Chenin Blanc tasting could be without Domaine Huet? My favourite producer from Vouvray.