2009 Raats Family Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Dry, White, Still
South Africa
Improving/Ready 2011 – 2015 
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Tasting Note
WAS £14.88 Stunningly pure and mineral, this is truly exceptional Chenin Blanc; hand picked from low-yielding vines. Fresh, bright and inviting, with lovely florality, peach, apple and melon on the nose. The palate displays soft, ripe nectarine and quince; a hint of chalkiness gives the wine a delicate, creamy finish. Wonderfully subtle and refined.
Region Details
Vineyards stretch out around Cape Town, with the emblematic Table Mountain as backdrop. Stellenbosch offers much of the country's vinous history - several producers claim links with the Dutch settlers of the 17th century - and much of its vinous variety. Relatively cool with maritime influences, the region is host to scintillating whites, sleek reds and fortified wines too. To its north, Paarl enjoys greater warmth, producing ample-textured whites and striking reds. To the east, Franshoek and Constantia offer a range of useful micro-climates for a host of different wine styles.
Vintage Notes
Grape Variety
For some pundits a variety where greater appreciation is overdue. Quintessentially the grape of the middle Loire valley, where it is responsible for a breathtaking range of wines including Vouvray, Anjou and the noble Savennières. What is also amazing is the range of wine styles: Chenin Blanc makes crisp, dry aperitif styles, full-bodied food wines, occasionally barrel-aged, and rich semi-sweet and liquoreux, late-harvested dessert wines, often botrytis-affected for added complexity. Chenin Blanc bubbles too, in the form of Crémant, sparkling Saumur and Vouvray. Little seen elsewhere in France, the variety has a second home in South Africa where for long it supported the brandy industry as well as making the once popular aperitif style of Steen. Chenin Blanc is grown in California and in the Pacific north-west too. It can be only a matter of time before it is taken up more widely.
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