Brilliant straw color. The aromas are very open for such a young Chenin, with casaba melon, crisp bosc pear and hints of ginger and horseradish. The palate vivid, fresh and lively, with plenty of acidity, but not as searing as many young Chenins. This is piquant, with good balance. It’s not deep or profound, but could improve for quite a few years. At this price, I’m going to buy a case and use it as an everyday quaff, while monitoring for what could be real improvement. Rated 88, up to 3 points of improvement possible.
Never seen the Petit Range in our market, but we get the Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc, for $18CAD/$14USD and it’s really nice. I’ve also been impressed with whites from Avondale, Thelema, and Mulderbosch.
In the bargain basement category (sub-$20CAD/$15USD) there is no other country in the world I’d more consistently look to than South Africa. The fact that it’s not a particularly fashionable country to collect and drink from only helps to keep prices low.