Tag Archives: chenin blanc

Wine of the week: MAN Chenin Blanc 2021

MAN Chenin Blanc bottle
MAN Chenin Blanc 2021/$7-$12

Once more, South Africa’s MAN chenin blanc reminds us that cheap doesn’t always mean crummy

There are some wines that I drink, vintage after vintage, that don’t necessarily win awards, aren’t 90-pointed by the Winestream Media, and are mostly ignored by the wine geeks. They include this wine and this wine, as well as my beloved Tariquet, and I drink them because they offer value and quality. What other reason is there?

The MAN Chenin Blanc 2021 ($10, purchased, 13%)  is one of those wines. This vintage is not as impressive as the 2019, which won the Turner award in 2021, but it’s exactly what great $10 wine should be. That is: Worth much, much more than it costs, does justice to its varietal (or varietals), and doesn’t insult the intelligence of those of us who drink it.

This vintage of the MAN has lemon fruit and a certain stoniess associated with chenin blanc. It’s not sweet or even especially smoooth, but bone dry and speaks to South African chenin blanc. The only thing missing that was in the Turner wine is a little bit of something in the middle. and which turned a good wine into a great wine.

Chill this, drink it on its own or with roast chicken, and be glad that cheap wine can still be this well done.

Imported by Vineyard Brands

Wine of the week: Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc Petit 2019

Ken Forrester petit chenin blanc
Ken Forrester  Chenin Blanc Petit 2019/$9-$16

Nothing illustrates how screwed up availability is better than this South African white, one of the all-time great cheap wines

The Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc Petit is one of the world’s all-time great cheap wines – a white that’s consistent and varietally correct every vintage. Plus, it’s a long-time Wine Curmudgeon favorite, on a par with this wine and this one.

So why has it only been a wine of the week three times in 15 years?

Our old pal availability, of course.

I can only guess why this wine is so difficult to find; it’s chenin blanc, for one thing, and South African for another. Neither are the kind of wine stocked in the mega-stores that are coming to dominate wine retailing.

Which is a damned shame. The Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc ($12, purchased, 13%) is the quintessential everyday white wine – low in alcohol, fruity but not sweet, food friendly, and delicious. It’s the kind of wine, as I’ve noted on the blog before, that even people who don’t like wine should like. The 2019 is rich and full, with an almost chardonnay mouth feel. There is lemony chenin fruit, plus a bit of stoniness.

Highly recommended, and a candidate for the 2023 Hall of Fame.

One note: This is an older vintage, and there seems to be more of it available than the two more recent vintages. Because, of course, availability.

Imported by USA Wine Imports

2022 Cheap Wine of the Year: Scaia Rosato 2020

scaia rose 2020
Scaia Rosato 2020/$5-$15

Italy’s Scaia Rosato 2020 is the blog’s fifth annual Cheap Wine of the Year

The Scaia Rosato is probably best known for its glass bottle stopper, which speaks volumes about how the wine business works. Yes, the stoppers are an enticing novelty, but to overlook what’s in the bottle because of that is silly.

Even for the wine business.

So know that the Scaia Rosato 2o20 ($10, purchased, 12.5%) is so much more than its glass closure. First, it’s a quintessential Italian pink wine — bright, a bit rich, and even a little savory. In this, it’s made with rondinella, a little known grape even given how many little known grapes there are in Italy.

Even better than that, it delivered quality and value that few other wines — rose or otherwise — delivered in 2021. Hence, the Scaia Rosato 2020 is the blog’s fifth annual cheap wine of the year.

The Scaia has always been a blog favorite, and the Dallas retailer that carries it almost always sells out quickly. But the 2020 is even better than usual — sort of floral and even pretty, which is a descriptor I rarely use, with raspberry fruit and a sort of tangy-ness. As such, it’s more interesting and much more than just a pink wine to drink because it’s a well made pink wine.

Best yet, there appears to be lots and lots available. This has often been a problem with the Scaia, which sometimes arrives in the U.S in mid-summer instead of spring with the rest of the roses. So buy this to drink year round — whether on its own, with something like pizza, a variety of chicken dishes, and even roasted mushrooms.

Imported by Dallas Terra

More Cheap Wine of the Year:
• 2021 Cheap Wine of the Year: MAN Chenin Blanc 2019
• 2020 Cheap Wine of the Year: Le Coeur de la Reine Gamay 2017
• 2019 Cheap Wine of the Year: Château La Gravière Blanc 2017

Is chenin blanc finally becoming respectable?

chenin blanc
“Man, that WC is right again. This chenin blanc is terrific.”

One leading wine writer says South Africa’s chenin is some of the world’s most enjoyable white wine

The Wine Curmudgeon has long advocated for chenin blanc, which has usually been derided as too geeky, too insipid, or not chardonnay. Or, of course, all three.

So imagine my pleasure when the well-respected Sara Schneider wrote – in the upscale Robb Report, of all places – that chenin blanc deserved all the respect that it hasn’t been getting, and then signaled out South African chenin blanc.

Thank you, Sara.

Chenin from France’s Loire has long been respected, but also known as the exception that proves the rule. Yes, wines like Savennieres are terrific, so why bother with anything else?

This is crap, of course, and I’ve been writing about cheap terrific chenin for years, including and especially from South Africa. The 2019 MAN chenin was the blog’s 2021 Cheap Wine of the Year.

The Robb Report story expands on that in wondrous glory, including an interview with the legendary Ken Forrester, whose chenin is so well done that it used to be almost impossible to buy in much of this country. Because, of course, it’s chenin blanc.

So, in honor of all that South African chenin blanc praise, here are four terrific $10ish South African chenins:

• The MAN 2020 ($10, purchased, 13.5%): Mostly as well done as the 2019 — some citrus, some minerality, but a softer mouth fee. And points to MAN for still calling the wine Steen, which is what all South African chenin used to be called. Imported by Vineyard Brands

• Linton Park White Rhino 2019 ($10, purchased, 12%): Some chenin producers aim for sweet, but there isn’t any sugar here. It’s lemony, tart, very dry, and almost rustic. Imported by SolStars, Inc.

• Badenhorst Secateurs Chenin Blanc 2019 ($15, purchased, 13%): Delicious – apple and lime fruit, but not too soft or sweet. Imported by Broadbent Selections

• Spier Signature Chenin Blanc 2019 ($10, purchased, 13.5%): Total Wine private label that was much better than expected – fresh, crisp, and lemony. Not as stony as I like, but well made and enjoyable. Imported by Saranty Imports

Photo: Kelsey Chance on Unsplash 

Fourth of July wine 2021

Let’s help the WC find quality cheap wine for Fourth of July

Fourth of July wine 2021: Four bottles to enjoy for Independence Day

The Wine Curmudgeon, several readers have noted, usually doesn’t choose U.S. wines for the annual Fourth of July post. Mostly, that’s because of price and availability. This year, though, I found one — as well as quality cheap wines from elsewhere in the world.

And, as always, keep our summer and porch wine guidelines in mind for this time of year. Consider these Fourth of July wine 2021 suggestions:

• Parducci Cabernet Sauvignon Small Lot 2018 ($13, purchased, 14.5%): Competent, professionally-made California cabernet sauvignon with all the requisite traits — lots of ripe, red fruit (sweet cherries?), soft-ish tannins, a hint of some kind of oak, not too hot, and just enough structure. This is firmly in the New World style, but also tastes like wine.

• Lubanzi Chenin Blanc 2019 ($15, purchased, 12.5%): This South African white isn’t quite as crisp as I like my chenin blanc, but still well done — apple and pear fruit, maybe a little lemon. It’s not soft — just not as crisp as something like the Ken Forester. Imported by Cape Venture

• Spinelli Terre Di Chieti Rosato 2019 ($8, purchased, 12.5%): This Italian pink costs as little as €3 in Italy. Berry fruit, almost savory in what seems to be an Italian style much preferred by Italians, as well as bone dry and a stony finish. Highly recommended. Imported by Enotec Imports

• Poema Cava Brut NV ($12, purchased, 11.5%): A touch softer than traditional cava, the Spanish sparkling wine. That means red apple instead of green and not as much lemon. But well done, and the bubbles belie the price. Imported by Kobrand

Photo: “Happy Fourth of July 2013!” by JD Hancock is licensed under CC BY 2.0

More Fourth of July wine:
• Fourth of July wine 2020
• Fourth of July wine 2019
• Fourth of July wine 2018
• Wine of the week: Domaine Bousquet Sparkling Rose Brut NV

2021 Cheap Wine of the Year: MAN Chenin Blanc 2019

man chenin blancSouth Africa’s MAN Vintners Chenin Blanc 2019 is the blog’s fourth annual Cheap Wine of the Year

The MAN Vintners Chenin Blanc, a South African white, appeals to the Wine Curmudgeon on a variety of levels. First, that it’s South African wine, and we know about that, don’t we? Second, that it’s chenin blanc, and we know about that, don’t we?

And, of course, that it’s cheap, delicious, and varietally correct. Because that’s what matters, and not any of the aforementioned criticisms. Hence, the MAN Vintners Chenin Blanc 2019 is the blog’s fourth annual cheap wine of the year.

In this, the MAN chenin blanc ($10, purchased, 12.5%) demonstrates once again that wine preconceptions are one of the problems with wine. Why pass up a wine as wonderful as this because you don’t drink chenin blanc, white wine, or South African wine? Because, of course, too many of you reading this now are thinking just that.

Does this wine taste like chardonnay or sauvignon blanc? Nope, because it’s not supposed to. It tastes like a New World chenin blanc — not as steely or stony as chenin from France’s Loire, but crisp and minerally enough, and with more fruit. It’s bone dry, with stone fruit and maybe some red apple, a richness that most $10 wines don’t have, and a longish finish. It’s surprisingly layered and sophisticated; swish it around in your mouth, and you’ll see what I mean. This is a white wine if you want a glass before dinner, as well something to drink with braised chicken.

The 2019 vintage is still be widely available, as is the 2018. The latter isn’t as impressive as the 2019, but it’s well made and enjoyable. The 2020 has been released, but I haven’t tried it yet.

Imported by Vineyard Brands

More Cheap Wine of the Year:
• 2020 Cheap Wine of the Year: Le Coeur de la Reine Gamay 2017
• 2019 Cheap Wine of the Year: Château La Gravière Blanc 2017
• 2018 Cheap Wine of the Year: Bieler Pere et Fils Rose 2016

Wine of the week: MAN Chenin Blanc 2018

MAN Chenin BlancSouth Africa’s MAN chenin blanc offers quality and value in an $11 white wine

I’ve spent the past couple of months writing about South African wine, not only here but for the trade media. The goal? Trying to figure out if South Africa can fill the void caused by the 25 percent tariff on French, Spanish, and German wine.

Sadly, despite top quality wines like the MAN chenin blanc ($11, purchased, 12.5%), the answer seems to be no. The reasons are many, including the three-tier system (since each wine needs a distributor, which most don’t have) and problematic pricing on higher-end South African wines.

Which is too bad, since the MAN chenin blanc does everything a terrific $10 wine should do. It’s a far cry from the country’s pre-Apartheid chenin blanc, when it was called steen and was likely to be soft and flabby.

Instead, the MAN is fresh, crisp, and enjoyable, without any cloying fruit or sweetness. Look for some lime and tropical fruit and more layers of flavor than most chenins at this price have. In this, is a professional wine and very well done, and shows how far South African winemaking has come.

Imported by Vineyard Brands