Prescient Chenin Blanc Report 2024: Top 10

Introduction

This year’s Chenin Blanc Report convened by Winemag.co.za and sponsored by multinational financial services company Prescient is now out. There were 75 entries of single-variety Chenin Blanc and 17 Cape White Blends (defined as any blend containing a Chenin Blanc component of more than 15% and less than 85%) and these were tasted blind (labels out of sight) by a three-person panel, scoring done according to the 100-point quality scale.

Chenin Blanc Top 10

The 10 best wines overall are:

95 – Best Overall

Flagstone Paradigm 2023 – Best Overall
Price: R286
Wine of Origin: Agter Paarl
Abv: 13.5%

Winner of a set of Spiegelau glasses worth R4,000 from warewashing specialist Winterhalter.

95

Le Sueur 2023
Price: R125
Wine of Origin: Klein Karoo
Abv: 13.73%

95

Villiera Barrel Fermented 2023
Price: R215
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Abv: 13.27%

94

Cederberg Nieuwoudt Five Generations 2023
Price: R360
Wine of Origin: Cederberg
Abv: 13.32%

94

Donkiesbaai Steen 2023
Price: R340
Wine of Origin: Piekenierskloof
Abv: 14.22%

94

Fryer’s Cove 2023
Price: R150
Wine of Origin: Cape West Coast
Abv: 13.5%

94

Knorhoek 2023
Price: R200
Wine of Origin: Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Abv: 13%

93

Bellingham The Bernard Series Old Vine Cape Town 2023
Price: R235
Wine of Origin: Cape Town
Abv: 13.5%

93

Cape of Good Hope Riebeeksrivier 2023
Price: R150
Wine of Origin: Riebeeksrivier
Abv: 13.5%

93

Old Road Wine Co. StoneTrail 2023
Price: R400
Wine of Origin: Franschhoek
Abv: 13%

Cape White Blends Top Three

93

Cape of Good Hope Riebeeksrivier Caroline 2021
Price: R195
Wine of Origin: Riebeeksrivier
Abv: 13.5%

93

JAN 2023 (Zevenwacht)
Price: R185
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Abv: 13.65%

93 – Best Overall

Kloovenburg Eight Feet White 2023
Price: R250
Wine of Origin: Swartland
Abv: 12.93%

Winner of a set of Spiegelau glasses worth R4,000 from warewashing specialist Winterhalter.

About the category

Chenin Blanc is one of the world’s most versatile grape varieties, capable of producing wines in all manner of styles and at all levels of the market. As recently as 1990, it comprised around 35% of the total area under vineyard in South Africa but in the period after political transformation, the tendency was to replace it with more fashionable red grape types and much was ripped out. It nevertheless remains the country’s most widely planted, making up 16 912ha or 18.4% of the total 87 848ha currently under vine.

Moreover, there has been a growing awareness that the variety had a particular affinity to local growing conditions and there is also a sense that mature vineyards can play a key role in producing wines of excellence. Based on industry convention, old vines are defined as being at least 35 years of age , and of the 4 870ha registered as such, approximately half of this is Chenin.

As for Cape White Blends, these make for an important, if niche, category. No official definition exists but our proposal is that such wines can be made from any combination of varieties as long as they include a significant Chenin Blanc component, specifically more than 15% and less than 85% – the wines that result are often compelling in their complexity and, moreover, no other wine region in the world can lay claim to them.

What does a top Chenin Blanc go for?

The average price of the 49 wines to rate 90-plus is R221 a bottle and of the Top 10 is R246.

Best Buy

Offering the best quality relative to price is Leyland Single Vineyard 2023 from Worcester cellar De Wet with a rating of 90 and selling for R90 a bottle.

In-depth analysis

To read the report in full, including key findings, tasting notes for the top wines and scores on the 100-point quality scale for all wines entered, download the following: Prescient Chenin Blanc Report 2024