It's white, it's often summery in style, it's Ch . . . Shhhh! No, absolutely not Chardonnay. Chenin Blanc is different, in more ways than smell and taste. It's a quiet, unflashy grape, a Jodie Foster among vines, whereas upfront, ubiquitous Chardonnay is more Pamela Anderson. Maybe its talents are undervalued because it's a creature of such baffling extremes, capable of producing heavenly delights and hellish dross. But now there are signs that Chenin, the chameleon, is out to prove its worth.
A couple of weeks ago, a small tasting on the theme Chenin Blanc Around the World made me realise just what this often overlooked variety can do, and where. Ancient prejudices, matured in dark corners of the mind years ago after too many mouthfuls of tart Loire wines or sweetish-bland New World ones, had to be laid aside. Of the eight wines tasted, seven (listed below) were well worth recommending - an unexpectedly high hit rate in this kind of exercise. The main conclusions? First, that there are more delicious, inexpensive Chenins sprinkled across the market than I ever realised. The second thing is that, if you're prepared to pay a bit more, the magnificent Chenin-based wines of the Loire are nothing short of thrilling. And now is the time to buy them, as 1995, 1996 and 1997 have been three spectacular vintages.
But back to the world tour. Before discovering nirvana in northern France, our tastebuds raced through the southern hemisphere, in whose warm climates Chenin Blanc is prized for its high acidity - a vital counterpoint to ripe and potentially flabby fruit. First to South Africa, which plants more Chenin by far than any other grape variety, and is better known for it, as a result, than any other corner of the New World. Locally called Steen, it is thought to have been among the original batch of vine cuttings that Jan Van Riebeeck unpacked from his knapsack when he landed at the Cape in 1652. In terms of sheer drinkability on a shoestring budget, the two South African wines tasted were outstanding - almost a dead heat for Bottle of the Week.
From here the taste trail led to Chile and Argentina, where more Chenin has been planted than we're inclined to think from the deluge of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay on the shelves. Compared with the South Africans, these examples were a little heavier; a little more confected, perhaps; the Argentinian lagged behind in the final tally. Even so, it must be said that South America delivered honest value.
On we whizzed to the Antipodes where, by and large, Chenin Blanc has been treated with scant respect. As in California, it has been used mainly as a blending agent - something to impart a bit of bite into bland, cheap, massproduced wine. But in all these regions there are a few producers who now take Chenin seriously. On the strength of the bottles sampled, their wines demand we do the same.
And so to the heartland - the Loire, where Chenin Blanc towers over duller grapes in the same way that the region's fairytale castles dominate the wide, grey river. In Anjou and Touraine, since the early Middle Ages, Chenin has demonstrated its capacity to be a superstar. Fashion swung against it so violently in the early 1970s, however, that endless acres were ripped out. Only now are its fortunes being reversed.
Chenin's comeback is based on the realisation that it can deliver dazzling wines if producers keep yields low and wait patiently until the grapes are really ripe. Appellations such as Vouvray, Savennieres, Bonnezeaux and the wider Coteaux de Layon produce, between them, the full panoply of styles - dry, demi-sec and sweet. All they have in common is Chenin's characteristic mix of razor-sharp acidity balanced, to varying degrees, by a streak of honey.
The sweet wines are the most exciting. In exceptional years, the high sugars which have developed in the grapes are concentrated further by noble rot - producing wines with the same sensational impact, the same staying power over decades, as good Sauternes. The cheering news is that they cost a great deal less - but maybe not for long. Monsieur Parker, the American wine writer who spends his summers in French cellars, apparently made his first extensive visit to the Loire last year and loved what he found. That portends fast-disappearing bottles and steeply rising prices. Very hard to swallow.
But we shouldn't be too downhearted. Chenin Blanc, in its many manifestations, still offers extremely good value. It's a welcome change from Ch. . . you-know-what, especially in the summer when it evokes images of ripe, sun-kissed fruit and yet remains refreshing. The dry and demi-sec styles, both still and sparkling, make terrific aperitifs. New World dry Chenins I've found delicious with Asian or Pacific Rim-type food (especially anything with lime or lemongrass), but it seems they also slip down a treat with artichokes and a wide range of vegetable dishes. The dry Loire wines go well with fish in a creamy sauce. Demi-sec Vouvray is apparently ace with gravadlax, and the splendid sweet wines of the Loire are marriage material for strong cheeses and fruit or almond puds.
I leave you with the wise words of Hugh Johnson. "Chenin Blanc has not yet had a fair trial . . . This is a grape - rather than a fashion - to follow."
Chenins To Cheer For. . .
Simonsig Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, 1997 (Redmonds, Corke's Terenure, Martha's Vineyard Rathfarnham, SuperValu Killiney, O'Donovans Cork and other outlets, usually £4.99). Sampled blind at the tasting, this excellent South African was assessed as an £8-9 wine, with subtle pear and citrus flavours opening out to a full, long finish. Brilliant value.
Paarl Heights Chenin Blanc, Boland Wynkelder, Paarl, 1996
(SuperValus including Naas, Listowel, Trim, Mullingar, Loughboy, Eyre Square Galway; Egans Drogheda, Clelands Portlaoise, Greenacres Wexford and other outlets, usually £5.45). Tongue-pricking lime and acid drop freshness, then creamy smoothness with a stony, mineral quality adding interest . . . Very good stuff. See Bottle of the Week.
Santa Carolina Chenin Blanc, Casablanca, 1997 (Exclusive to SuperValu/Centra, £5.69). "Very perfumed - like an Alpine meadow," said one of the tasters. Big aromas and big flavours of honey and lime, with perhaps a touch less acidity than most of the others and an off-dry finish. Still very quaffable.
Peter Lehmann Chenin Blanc, Barossa Valley, 1997 (very widely available, usually £5.79). Quite an understated style - the last thing you'd expect from an assertive Australian like Lehmann. Ruby grapefruit character with a slightly herbaceous, mineral edge and medium acidity. Try it with Asian food.
Esk Valley Hawkes Bay Wood-aged Chenin Blanc, 1996
(Findlaters, McCabes, Mortons Ranelagh and some other outlets, usually about £9.99). Two months in French and American oak make this New Zealander a different beast altogether. Very spicy, with pear and lemon flavours, it makes an immediate impact which the long finish sustains.
Marc Bredif Vouvray 1996 (Vintry Rathgar, Jus de Vine Portmarnock, Cheers Rathfarnham, Savages Swords and a few other outlets, usually about £10.99). Here's your Bottle of the Week, mid-to-upper range spenders - a glorious wine that tells you everything you need to know about that knife-edge Loire balance of acidity and sweetness. All 10 tasters adored it.
Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux La Chapelle 1990 (McCabes, Redmonds, Thomas's Deli Foxrock, usually about £42).
Now the pinnacle - Bottle of the Week for millionaires. In the excellent 1990 vintage, the most famous label of the Coteaux du Layon is a thrillingly complex, intense wine, redolent of quinces, candied peel, honey, nougat. Already magnificent, it will become even richer over the next 20 years. Among the best sweet wines in the world, it's actually a bargain - millionaires please note - at this price.