Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc and Semillon are grapes that seem to get only modest respect and little love. They certainly don’t sell well in the U.S. as labeled varietals.
I’m curious about board member’s opinions and would also like to learn more about where these grapes do best and what producers to seek out.
For Chenin Blanc, I prefer dry wines. I already have experience with Savennieres and Vouvray as well as Touraine. I’ve had some good ones from South Africa and a few from California. What should I be looking for? Right now Savennieres is my favorite.
Most of the Pinot Blanc I’ve had has been from Alsace (consistently very good) and I’ve recently been stunned by the quality of Terlano’s ‘Vorberg’ from the Alto Adige. Any other places and producers I should know?
Semillon may be blended with Sauvignon Blanc more often than it is bottled separately. Haut Brion Blanc is among the world’s most expensive dry whites. I’m also acquainted with Hunter Valley Semillon. Where else will I find goodies? Any recommendations for reasonably priced white Bordeaux made mostly or entirely from Semillon? In your replies and the poll, please include blends that are mostly Semillon.
Chenin Blanc is probably now my most-often consumed dry white wine. It’s relative lack of popularity is a double-edged sword, keeping selection, pricing, and competition down.
Despite somewhat variable quality, I love Guiberteau, out of Saumur. Last year a $20 bottle of Kloof St. Old Vines, out of S. Africa, raised both of my eyebrows, especially for the price.
One of the De Negoce wines was a Semillon from Washington, and another was a Semillon/Chenin blend from the same maker (thought to be Basel Cellars). Both are excellent.
They fall well short of “great”, but the price was sure right. I’ve noticed Basel Cellars Semillon marked down by other retailers. If you happen across any, give it a try.
It’s not the only decent Semillon from Washington either. Ecole No. 41 is well regarded.
BTW, they will not taste like Bordeaux whites. White wines from WA rarely have the acidity of old world wines, and if they do, they were probably picked under-ripe.
Chenin Blanc can be really good, but I drink it very occasionally. I look for Vouvray or Savennieres mostly. Pinot Blanc I’ve had even less of and I’m not sure I’ve ever had one that blows me away, so not seeking out new ones these days. I actually quite like dry Semillon, though I think I’ve only ever had White Bordeaux. My problem with White Bordeaux is that what I like is pricey, especially relative to other white wines that I like as much or more.
I definitely experiment a lot more with white wines than with red. While my dry white cellar remains mostly Riesling and Chardonnay, I seek out a fairly wide variety of other Loire, N. Rhône and whites from all across Italy. I haven’t found anything yet that demands to be bought in significant volume though. White wines sure are fun though since one can often try world class, beautifully crafted examples for less than $50, or even less than $25!
Semillon and I do not find a lot of common ground unless it is a dessert wine. I love Chenin Blanc and Pinot Blanc, but profess to often preferring demi-sec Chenin to the fully dry versions in the Loire.
You mentioned Hunter Valley Semillon and it is truly delightful and can be spectacular. It’s well known, but hard for me to get – I gobble up any of the various Tyrrell’s bottlings which range in price, but generally have an incredible quality to price ratio. Yum.
Yep! It’s hard to find more than a handful of dry Chenin in even larger stores, so I plan ahead and/or shop online.
To the OP - if you haven’t already shelled out for Joly (the most talked about winemaker in Savennieres), first pick up some high quality Savennieres like Damien Laureau Roche Aux Moines, Domaine Aux Moines Roches Aux Moines, Baumard Clos du Papillon, etc. You don’t want to prematurely burn out on the appellation by becoming disenchanted with Joly. There are a lot of ‘off’ Joly experiences. When and if you pick up Joly, go first for the Coulee de Serrant and don’t save a buck by trying the Vieux Clos. It’s arguably the most off-putting. Give the Coulee de Serrant time in the cellar.
There are a lot of cool producers in the Loire who embrace oak in dry Chenin. Give those wines time in cellar and in glass. I tend to prefer little to none, but to each his own.
I always go back and forth between Chenin and Fiano as my favorite white grapes. There are comparatively few great Fianos, but both can be wonderful.
Paetra (Oregon) makes a precise and beguiling pinot blanc. Of the ones I’ve tried, all have been very good at least and the 2018 excellent (see CT for my TNs).
I’d say Clos de la Bergerie is by far the best buy from the Joly range.
I agree that Coulée de Serrant is much better than Vieus Clos, but in those couple of Joly verticals I’ve been to, Clos de la Bergerie has been the most consistently great wine in Joly’s range. When Coulée de Serrant is good, it is really good and the other two wines can’t match such greatness. However, to me Coulée de Serrant shows a lot of vintage variation and in some vintages can be excessively overripe, too extracted, too high in alcohol, just too unbalanced, etc.
I’d say when one knows the vintage is great, Coulée de Serrant is definitely worth the premium. However, in most vintages Clos de la Bergerie shows more freshness, higher acidity and lower alcohol than Coulée de Serrant but more depth, concentration and complexity than Vieux Clos / Clos Sacrés / Becherelle. And in most vintages that freshness, higher acidity and lower alcohol is exactly what I’d want from Coulée de Serrant. That’s why I’d say Bergerie is the most reliable purchase in Joly’s range.
And yes, I concur that not only Coulée de Serrant but virtually all Joly wines do benefit from cellaring.
Vincent Fritzsche makes a terrific Pinot Blanc. Other Chenin producers I love include Thierry Germain / Roches Neuves, especially his old vines (L’Insolite, Clos du Moulin), and Francois Pinon, whose wines are outstanding for the price.
I was curious to see how much of each I consumed, and it was interesting to see Chenin, Pinot Blanc and Semillon rank 4th, 8th and 12th in CT for white wine varietals consumed… almost 10% of my whites were Chenin, behind Chardonnay and Riesling (each 16%) and Melon de Bourgogne (15%).
Curious where Chenin factors in for everyone else.