Chenin Blanc was first mentioned in the 9th century. Its origin is widely acknowledged to be in the Loire valley, Anjou to be precise, but to this date hasn’t been fully confirmed. (Robinson et al., 2012)
Noticeable high in acidity it produces a range of different styles including, dry and off dry examples, sparkling and sweet. Very rarely a variety shows such chameleon like ability of perfectly mastering so many different styles.
Sweet styles in particular carry various different names on the label from Nectar, Moelleux, Doux, and many more. Additionally the majority comes in 500ml or 375ml bottles.
Commonly used names and synonyms are: Pineau, Pineau de la Loire, Anjou, Blanc d’Aunis, Gros Pineau, Pineau d’Anjou, Plant de Brézé and many more (Loire valley), Steen (South Africa) (Harding et al., 2023).
In this article, we are going to focus on the aroma and flavour profile of sweet Chenin Blanc, following a structure commonly used by wine institutions like Court of Master Sommeliers (COMS) and Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). We will also compare it with other grape varieties and call out what makes sweet Chenin Blanc unique.
Appearance
Dark yellow/golden core, amber hue/reflection consistent to the rim
Regardless of age and sweetness level these wines are often not filtered which results in sediment or particles
Aromas and flavours
Fruits: sweet ripe citrus notes of yuzu and candied orange peel. Ripe red apples, cooked pears and quince jam, exotic fruits often with sweet cooked mango and pineapple
Floral: jasmine, geranium, honey, some show botrytis character which emphasises its exotic character, intense hay & dried grass, lees and cheesy notes
Vegetal & Herbal: nettle, and dried provencal herb tones
Others: shitaki, button mushrooms and Camembert notes
Sweetness
Sweet (between 40 to 100g/L of RS)
Acidity
Often medium plus (depending on residual sugar level which varies)
Alcohol
Moderate often ~12% ABV – The higher the residual sugar content the lower the ABV
Body
Rich & textured with a mouth-coating viscosity
Comparison to others
Tokaji tends to be sweeter (5 or 6 puttonyos) with more pronounced exotic fruit notes. However, lacks the herbal and vegetal note of Chenin
Sauternes is generally higher in alcohol and shows more richness and botrytis influence. Slightly lower in acid but richer in body and weight
Classic examples
- Moulin-Touchais (Coteaux du Layon)
- Château Fesles (Bonnezeaux)
- Vouvray Moelleux by Foreau
- Vouvray Nectar by Marc Brédif
What makes it unique
- Chenin Blanc’s acidity drives the energy despite its sweetness level, it is often the prevailing force
- The focus on apple and pear fruits with quince compote, depending on the year and % of botrytised fruit are a unique combination
- The non fruit characters of honey, mushrooms, hay and Camembert comes into play.
Stefan Neumann MS
Austrian born, London based Master Sommelier – I am passionate about wine and a strong believer that wine should connect people. Hence I have made it my mission to share my wine knowledge and experience with like-minded individuals who would like to be part of this journey.
References:
Jancis Robinson, Harding, J. and Vouillamoz, J. (2012). Wine grapes : a complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins, flavours and wines. London: Penguin.
Harding, J., Robinson, J. and Thomas, T.Q. (2023) The Oxford Companion to Wine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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