OK, you Chenin Blanc drinkers!

I have opened two Chenin Blancs this week but have to add that one was a blend from South Africa.

WTN: 2008 Field Recordings Wine Chenin Blanc Jurassic Park Vineyard, Central Coast Santa Inez Valley.

Unfiltered, unfined. 13.9% alc, SC, 285 case production. I will post website so folks can get some additional background on this enterprising winery.

Light pale yellow color, no cloudiness. The nose featured apricot, nuts, lemon zest and floral tones. I certainly did not expect such a dry wine however, sharp acidity a big influence here I guess? The aromas followed through on the palate, plus some unripe pineapple and tart apple. "Not for everyone" from across the table. Hard to pair with food but went for pork tenderloin marinaded in light teriyaki. Not sure I would try this style again, purchased from Metrovino in Calgary.

http://fieldrecordingswine.com/

WTN: 2009 Mullineux Family White W.O. Swartland, S Africa.

Blend of 61% CB, 23% Clairette Blanc and 16% Viognier. Good natural cork, 14% alc, L 0110.
Keith Protheroe, who posts here from time to time, big investor. Watch out forumites, Mullineux is going places, look out especially for the straw wine.

Very light yellow, nice reflections. On the nose some great aromatics with tart green apple, apricot big time, slight herbiness, some oak here but integrated. Unfined and unfiltered as above bottle. Good length, juicy fruits, excellent balance. The Viognier adds some nice complexity here...peach, apricot. "Tad oily finish here" from my fellow taster, some nice ripe citrus and pear too. Terrific effort, only wish I had more!

Bob, there are a couple of fascinating ones for Chenin nuts.

The Field Recordings sounds like a wine for shellfish though I find that the bone dry offerings from Blot and Foreau go well with fish like sole, sea bass, etc. I think that I might like this wine but hard to tell without tasting whether the astringency would be within my own tolerance range. Blot and Foreau have a lot of acidity in their wines but it is usually mouth-wateringly moreish for my palate.

Alas, I don't think that I can find either in the Brussels area.

Tim, I was thinking about dry Vouvrays too but have no tasting experience of the names you always mention.I am quite intrigued to find out however!

I had an interesting and unusual (for me) chenin lately. The Kanu KCB Chenin Blanc 2007 (South Africa) was really heavily oaked, which is usually a kiss of death for me. It really drank more like a chardonnay then a chenin blanc, which again is usually a no-no for me, but for some reason I liked the wine overall. Very little typicity, but at the price (about $20 CAD), i thought it was a nice QPR, and two bottles have been drank with three other winelovers approving of the wine as well (B+).