Prescient Fund Services Chenin Blanc Report 2025: Top 10
By Christian Eedes, 20 May 2025
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Introduction
This year’s Chenin Blanc Report convened by Winemag.co.za and sponsored by financial institution Prescient Fund Services is now out. There were 63 entries of single-variety Chenin Blanc and 15 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:
96
Perdeberg The Dry Land Collection Courageous Barrel-Fermented 2024
Price: R185
Wine of Origin: Paarl
Abv: 14.1%
Winner of a set of Nachtmann glasses worth R2,500 from warewashing specialist Winterhalter.
95
Rikus Neethling 2024 (Bizoe)
Price: R185
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Abv: 11.99%
95
Vrede en Lust Kogelberg 2024
Price: R255
Wine of Origin: Elgin
Abv: 13.5%
94
Cederberg Nieuwoudt Five Generations 2024
Price: R430
Wine of Origin: Cederberg
Abv: 13.5%
94
Croydon Covenant 2024
Price: R200
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Abv:12.27%
94
Durbanville Hills Collectors Reserve The Cape Garden 2024
Price: R160
Wine of Origin: Durbanville, Cape Town
Abv: 13.36%
94
Warwick Old Vine 2023
Price: R610
Wine of Origin: Simonsberg, Stellenbosch
Abv: 13%
93
Bellingham The Bernard Series Old Vine Limited Release 2023
Price: R265
Wine of Origin: Coastal Region
Abv: 13.5%
93
Chamonix Old Vine Steen 2024
Price: R455
Wine of Origin: Franschhoek
Abv: 13.7%
93
Knorhoek 2024
Price: R255
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Abv: 13.15%
Cape White Blends Top Three
93 – Best Overall
Perdeberg The Dry Land Collection Rossouw’s Heritage 2023
Price: R205
Wine of Origin: Coastal Region
Abv: 13.78%
Winner of a set of Nachtmann glasses worth R2,500 from warewashing specialist Winterhalter.
93
Cavalli Reserve White 2024
Price: R280
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Abv: 13.24%
93
Fairview Beryl Back 2023
Price: R360
Wine of Origin: Paarl
Abv: 13.65%
Shop online
Online wine shop Getwine is offering all of the top wines for sale – buy wine.
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 15 913ha or 18.4% of the total 86 544ha 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 879ha 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 47 wines to rate 90-plus is R259 a bottle and of the Top 10 is R300.
Best Buy
The Chenin Blanc offering the best quality relative to price is the Reserve Barrel Fermented 2023 from Paarl cellar Windmeul with a rating of 90 and selling for R110 a bottle.
In-depth analysis
To read the report in full, including key findings, tasting notes for the top wines, buying guide (wines ranked by quality relative to price) and scores on the 100-point quality scale for all wines entered, download the following: Prescient Fund Services Chenin Blanc Report 2025
Video
Watch judges’ comments.
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Matthew Ferrandi | 22 May 2025
Fantastic to see how the co-ops are delivering the goods. That Dry Land Collection is really something special. I’ve long thought that the Windmeul chenin is unbeatable value so nice to see it represented in the same way by the pros!
Mike Froud of Top Wine SA | 21 May 2025
Thanks for explaining about the retail prices. What can be confusing is that in the Buying Guides, e.g. on page 8 of the Chenin report that we’re invited to download, the heading states ‘Cellar Door Prices’.
Christian Eedes | 21 May 2025
You’re right-that’s a sharp observation. Going forward, it might make sense for the Buying Guide to clarify that these are approximate retail prices rather than strict cellar door.
Mike Froud of Top Wine SA | 21 May 2025
Again, quite a few prices seem out of date? Example: the winning Perdeberg Chenin is selling for R200 ex-cellar, not R185…
Christian Eedes | 21 May 2025
As stated under the Shiraz Report: Prices reflect those from our retail partner Getwine.co.za and may differ from cellar door. We earn a small commission on purchases.
Donald Griffiths | 21 May 2025
Great that a wine costing just over 100 bucks can score a 93 (while some big names scoring lower cost x 3-4 as much) proving yet again that price and quality do not always go hand in hand. Unbelievable value.