The War Horse, Chenin Blanc 2011, South Africa
Chenin Blanc is the most widely planted wine grape in South Africa, though historically it was not used to produce high quality table wines. But a few pioneers have started to take the grape much more sriously, reducing yields in the vineyard and treating the grapes with much more respect in the winery to add layers of sunny richness and texture to the green apple crunch we expect in the best examples from its homeland, the Loire Valley in France. This from the excellent Simonsig estate is a perfect case in point, with the crunch and floral brightness of the nose suffused with honey, nectarine and a creamy weight of oatmeally depth. On the palate the incisive lemon zest and apple skin tang powers through the broad, expansive texture of the wine. There’s a fruit salad explosion of flavour, with just a fleeting hint of sweetness, before a long, powerful and dry finish. See the video for more information, maps and food matching suggestions. 8.30, Jascots and (price may rise with budget duty increase early April).
