Essay Chenin Blanc Blend 2014

  • 90 Robert
    Parker
4.3 Very Good (16)
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Essay Chenin Blanc Blend 2014 Front Bottle Shot
Essay Chenin Blanc Blend 2014 Front Bottle Shot Essay Chenin Blanc Blend 2014 Front Label Essay Chenin Blanc Blend 2014 Back Bottle Shot

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2014

Size
750ML

ABV
13.5%

Features
Screw Cap

Your Rating

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

The Essay Chenin Blanc is a medium-bodied white blend made from South Africa's white varietal, Chenin Blanc. The Chenin Blanc gives the wines its fruit salad, guava and melon aromas and a refreshing acidity. Some sur lie on the less for a few months adds to the complexity and body. A touch of aromatic Viognier complements the fruit structure with some floral hints.

The wine is perfect on its own as an aperitif on the porch on a hot summer's day. Chenin Blanc pairs well with a wide range of foods, especially sushi, oysters, Asian curries, sweet-and-sour dishes, and summer salads.

Blend: 87% Chenin Blanc, 13% Viognier

Professional Ratings

  • 90
    The 2014 Essay Chenin Blanc/Viognier (a blend of 87% and 13% respectively) has an introspective bouquet that needs coaxing, revealing touches of almond, orange blossom and lemon zest, hints of hazelnut in the background. The palate is very well balanced with good weight: pineapple and passion fruit on the entry, quite spicy with lemongrass taking over towards the long finish. Another fine Chenin from "The MAN" at a killer price.

Other Vintages

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  • 89 Robert
    Parker
2011
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Essay

Essay

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Essay, South Africa
Essay Essay Vineyard Winery Image

“Essay” refers to the popular abbreviation for South Africa (SA) as well as implying an “assemblage” or blending of things to create a whole greater than its parts. Produced by partners José Conde and Tyrrel Myburgh, Essay Wines consists of two blended wines produced in a Mediterranean style representing the best from the Agter-Paarl area. The vineyards are unirrigated and planted on old Malmesbury shale soils producing wines with distinctive flavor and texture.

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With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.

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With an important wine renaissance in full swing, impressive red and white bargains abound in South Africa. The country has a particularly long and rich history with winemaking, especially considering its status as part of the “New World.” In the mid-17th century, the lusciously sweet dessert wines of Constantia were highly prized by the European aristocracy. Since then, the South African wine industry has experienced some setbacks due to the phylloxera infestation of the late 1800s and political difficulties throughout the following century.

Today, however, South Africa is increasingly responsible for high-demand, high-quality wines—a blessing to put the country back on the international wine map. Wine production is mainly situated around Cape Town, where the climate is generally warm to hot. But the Benguela Current from Antarctica provides brisk ocean breezes necessary for steady ripening of grapes. Similarly, cooler, high-elevation vineyard sites throughout South Africa offer similar, favorable growing conditions.

South Africa’s wine zones are divided into region, then smaller districts and finally wards, but the country’s wine styles are differentiated more by grape variety than by region. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the country’s “signature” grape, responsible for red-fruit-driven, spicy, earthy reds. When Pinotage is blended with other red varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir (all commonly vinified alone as well), it is often labeled as a “Cape Blend.” Chenin Blanc (locally known as “Steen”) dominates white wine production, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc following close behind.

RGL1514515_2014 Item# 139942

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