Tag Archives: MAN

Wine of the week: MAN Sauvignon Blanc 2022

MAN Sauvignon Blanc bottle
MAN Sauvignon Blanc 2022/$7-$15

Once again, South Africa’s MAN delivers quality and value

During last week’s podcast with Greg Doody of Vineyard Brands, he spoke glowingly of South Africa’s MAN wines. And why not, given the quality of this white? (Or most of the other MANs, for that matter.)

The MAN Sauvignon Blanc 2022 ($10, purchased, 13%) is neither New Zealand, French, or California in style. So no head-smacking grapefruit, no long stony finish, no aromas of freshly cut grass. Rather, it’s terroir driven — a little softer and more tropical than French or California. That means a not quite pineapple fruitiness but enough lime for balance. And, of course, crisp enough to be sauvignon blanc.

The 11 percent semillion in the blend makes it richer than I expected – who expects a $10 sauvignon blanc to offer more than one note? Plus, there’s a bit of a complex mouth feel, which is also not common in a wine at this price.

Highly recommended, and certain to return to the Hall of Fame next year. Pair this with any summer salad or grilled fish. And, frankly, it’s just the thing to keep chilled and drink when you’re ready for a glass of white wine.

Imported by Vineyard Brands

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

Mini-reviews 144: Pinot grigio, MAN, Altano, Gavi

woman wine
“Which of these four wines should I look for this month?”

Reviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the fourth Friday of each month: this time, four white wines for April.

• ZIOBAFFA Pinot Grigio 2019 ($12, purchased, 12%): Odd, different Italian white, more in the pinot gris style than the usual pinot grigio tonic water. Plus, the finish seems to be almost oxidized. Not for all tastes, but I can see where some might like it. Imported by Mission Wine Company

• MAN Chardonnay Padstal 2019 ($10, sample, 13.5%): Pleasant, supermarket style chardonnay (simple, mostly varietal, a little thin) that doesn’t quite measure up to MAN’s chenin blanc and sauvignon blanc. Having said that, it’s not sweet and it does taste like chardonnay — some green apple and that chardonnay mouth feel. Imported by Vineyard Brands

• Symington Douro Altano Branco 2019 ($18, sample, 12.5%): Tart, lime-ish, and even orange-ish Portuguese white blend that is fresh and enjoyable — and somehow costs almost as much as two bottles of the MAN chenin blanc. Imported by Vineyards Brands

• Cameron Hughes Lot 752 2019 ($15, sample, 12%): The Italian white tries to answer the question: Is entry level Gavi, made with the cortese grape, worth $15? It’s clean, a bit spicy, and ultimately indifferent. Imported by Cameron Hughes Wine

Photo: “Deya Drinking Wine at Four Point Winery” by nan palmero is licensed under CC BY 2.0

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