![]() When Thomas Bohier purchased vineyard land around Chenonceaux on January 3, 1496, several grape varieties were brought in from the Burgundy wine region of Beaune, the Jura wine region of Arbois and nearby Orléans and Anjou. The grape may have been the variety described in two royal land grants of Charles the Bald in 845 detailed in the records of the abbey of Glanfeuil as growing on the left bank of the Loire River in vineyards belonging to individuals with the name of Soulangé and Bessé. History The works of French writer François Rabelais indicate that Chenin blanc was a major grape in the Loire Valley by the 16th century.įrench ampelographer Pierre Galet has theorized that Chenin blanc originated in the Anjou wine region sometime in the 9th century, and from there traveled to Touraine by at least the 15th century. In the best vintages, the grapes can be left on the vines to develop noble rot, producing an intense, viscous dessert wine, which may improve considerably with age. In nearby Vouvray AOC, vintners aim for an off-dry style, developing honey and floral characteristics with age. The white wines of the Anjou AOC are a popular expression of Chenin as a dry wine, with flavors of quince and apples. In the unreliable summers of northern France, the acidity of under-ripened grapes was often masked with chaptalization with unsatisfactory results, whereas now, the less-ripend grapes are made into popular sparkling wines such as Crémant de Loire. In cool areas, the juice is sweet but high in acid with a full-bodied, fruity palate. It provides a fairly neutral palate for the expression of terroir, vintage variation, and the winemaker's treatment. Waterhouse was growing Steen at Highercombe in Houghton, South Australia, by 1862. It may have been introduced in James Busby's collection of 1832, but C. Chenin blanc was often misidentified in Australia, as well, so tracing its early history in the country is not easy. The grape may have been one of the first to be grown in South Africa by Jan van Riebeeck in 1655, or it may have come to that country with Huguenots fleeing France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. Outside the Loire, it is found in most of the New World wine regions it is the most widely planted variety in South Africa, where it was historically also known as Steen. ![]() Its high acidity means it can be used to make varieties from sparkling wines to well-balanced dessert wines, although it can produce very bland, neutral wines if the vine's natural vigor is not controlled. Vouvray, Coteaux du Layon, sparkling SaumurĬhenin blanc (known also as Pineau de la Loire among other names) is a white wine grape variety from the Loire Valley of France. It is one of the wine world's really outstanding white grape varieties.Steen, Pineau de la Loire, Pinot blanco ( more) More and more producers in the world are tempted to have a go at making chenin blanc. There are small areas in many other countries. Many chenin blanc from South Africa today are fantastic wines.Īrgentina and the United States have around 2,000 hectares each. But most people today prefer to call it chenin blanc, to distance themselves from the mediocre wines of old. The grape used to be called steen and it happens that you still see that name used. Now it is used both for everyday wines and for very interesting quality wines, with more restrictive yields. You can get very large yields from chenin blanc. In the past, it was grown mainly for distillation into brandy (that can be excellent in South Africa). A chenin blanc wine from Rickety Bridge winery in Franschhoek in South Africa, copyright BKWine. ![]()
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