Recently, Young Gun of Wine did a deep dive to find Australia's Best Chenin Blanc.
We are honoured that the 2022 L.A.S. Vino CBDB (chenin blanc dynamic blend) was awarded the top Chenin Blanc in Australia. You can read the introduction to the article from Young Gun of Wine below. For more fantastic Australian Chenin Blanc hit the links and have a read.
Three years after our inaugural Deep Dive into chenin blanc, it’s an apt time to again cast our eyes across the Australian chenin blanc landscape.
Chenin blanc is the heroic white variety of France’s Loire Valley, making wines up and down the scale, from vibrant and carefree sparklings to lusciously sweet whites that are some of the world’s most long-lived wines. But the grape also excels out of the cool of the Loire, being South Africa’s most important white variety, while also thriving in the heat of Western Australia’s Swan Valley where a renaissance is in full swing. And it’s not just in the West, either, with makers from South Australia also putting their hands up. With ample producers dedicated to elevating the grape, a Deep Dive was called for, so we gathered as many bottling's as we could find and enlisted the help of eight of this country’s finest palates to check in to see just where Australian chenin blanc is at.
Our panel: Chris Ryan, Senior Wine Buyer, Trader House Group; Isabelle Szyman, Rathdowne Cellars Wine Buyer; Sophie Carbonneau, National Sales Manager Bibendum Wine Co.; Abby Moret, owner Atlas Vinifera; Jeremy Prideaux, Principal Wine; Xavier Vigier DipWSET, Wine Buyer/Advisor/Head Sommelier Mr Claremont Wines; Coralie Gelot, Beverage Manager, The Windsor Hotel Group. All wines were tasted blind.
We set our expert panel the tasks of finding the wines that compelled the most. All wines were tasted blind, and each panellist named their top six wines. Below are the top wines from the tasting.
The Top Chenin Blanc in Australia
2022 L.A.S Vino CBDB ‘Chenin Blanc Dynamic Blend’ Margaret River, RRP $65
Both Snook and Gelot had this in their top spot, Carbonneau had it in her top two, and Moret and Ryan also had it in their top six selections. “Fuller body, richer and more textural. Great concentration without loosing that classic chenin freshness that we all love,” wrote Gelot. “It has a fruity and generous core but it tastes serious and very gastronomic. It displays an array of Pome fruits, juicy and ripe summer pears, soft spices and a mineral almost salty finish that refreshes the palate and makes you want to go back.” “A beautiful symphony of oak, ripe fruit and acid. This wine ticks off all the pleasure zones,” said Snook. “An aroma of dried camomile, cardamom, saffron and nutmeg followed by the sweet ripeness of yellow orchard apples and nectarine skins. Ripe fruit generosity on the palate, with tart white nectarine, baked apple honeycomb, and the delightful ultra-fine grip of tannin from the oak use which leaves a soft but lingering kiss of vanilla, and nutmeg spice.” “It’s long, concentrated and complex. Excellent,” declared Carbonneau. “Would be great served in big wine glasses and any sort of roasted fish in butter sauce,” suggested Ryan.
For more go to 'Young Gun of Wine'