Chenin Blanc
A high-acid, endlessly versatile Loire white capable of dry, sweet and sparkling wines, and South Africa's most-planted grape as Steen.
About Chenin
Chenin Blanc is one of the wine world's great chameleons. Originating in the Loire's Anjou region and descended from Savagnin, it pairs searing natural acidity with a wide ripening window, so a single grape yields everything from taut, mineral dry wines in Savennières to honeyed botrytis sweet wines in the Layon and crisp Crémant de Loire sparkling. Classic markers include quince, apple, chamomile, honey and a distinctive waxy, lanolin note. In South Africa, where it is known as Steen, it is the most widely planted variety and increasingly a source of serious old-vine bottlings. Chenin's acidity gives its best wines remarkable ageworthiness, dry examples evolving for decades. It rewards careful site selection and low yields, and has become a darling of quality-focused growers on two continents.
Variety profile
Editorial notes
Judge sweetness by producer and cuvée, not label alone — Loire Chenin ranges from bone-dry to lusciously sweet. Old-vine South African bottlings offer strong value.