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In a bold move to capitalise on China’s mounting interest in white wines, Standard Bank, the sponsor of the annual Chenin Blanc Top Ten Challenge is planning to showcase the variety’s best-of-best wines at ProWine in Shanghai in November.

The annual trade exhibition targets wine buyers across mainland China and last year drew over 27 000 delegates. With the nascent recovery in the country’s wine sector, even greater visitor numbers are anticipated this year. The wine market in the world’s second biggest economy is expected to grow by 2.74% this year, thanks to a post-pandemic recovery and an increasing demand for premium wines.

“Standard Bank’s purpose is to drive Africa’s growth. One of the ways we do that is by being our clients’ trusted partner for their growth. Through our Africa-China Trading Solutions (ACTS) in partnership with the world’s largest bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) we enable our clients to turn possibilities into opportunities such as the ProWine Shanghai trade fair,” says Simone Cooper, Head of Business and Commercial Banking for Standard Bank South Africa.

The Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top Ten Challenge Winners were chosen from close to 130 entries that were received from 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 vintages. Eight of the ten winners were 2023 vintage wines, while the remaining two were from 2022, with the retail pricing of the wines submitted ranging from R160 to R350 a bottle.

Each winning wine walks away with prize money of R25 000, with the condition that it be directed towards an initiative benefitting the wine-worker communities involved. To date, Standard Bank has donated over R2,6m for community projects, from education and youth development to housing and health.

Commenting on this year’s winning wines, judging chair Higgo Jacobs noted that entries for the challenge had come from 20 different origins. “Stellenbosch Wine of Origin was the clear winner, accounting for six of the top ten wines. What makes the achievement even more noteworthy is that Stellenbosch accounts for just 8% of South Africa’s 32 000 ha of Chenin Blanc vineyards.”

Chenin Blanc Association chair Ken Forrester said the planned ProWine stand dedicated to this year’s winning wines, represented a significant step in bringing South Africa’s signature white grape to new audiences.

“In recent years, white wines have been finding increasing favour with consumers in China. Rising anecdotal evidence from e-retailers and on-consumption purveyors, points to a growing appetite for white wines, and notably among younger wine lovers keen to expand their wine repertoires. This seems to be the pattern in major and second-tier cities where disposable income is highest. In these centres, it appears consumers are starting to choose whites for their own enjoyment as opposed to when buying wines for others.

“The trend makes it an opportune time to highlight Chenin’s stylistic versatility and food-friendly qualities. With all its reported setbacks in recent times, China remains one of the world’s top ten wine-consuming nations,” he said.

“Highlighting South Africa’s flagship grape is as much a win for the producers of the winning line-up as it is for Brand South Africa”.

Although the composition of the panel changes every year to ensure fresh thinking and insights, there has been a remarkable consistency in the winning line-up from year to year with many of the same producer names appearing, he said.

“All wines are tasted blind. They go through several rigorous rounds before making it into the final selection and there is always robust debate in choosing the winners. As a matter of principle, we welcome innovation and experimentation as that is what keeps the Chenin category relevant and flourishing. But at the same time, our priority to identify the quality signifiers in each wine - the fruit intensity and length, the balance and, in the case of wooding, evidence of good integration of oak and fine lees work.”

International, Swedish-based judge, Madeleine Stenwreth MW was excited by the energy and stylistic versatility of the wines under review: “There were delicate, understated wines exhibiting a pristine, crystalline focus; flinty, nervy wines that need time to unfurl and also rich but precise wines with textural depth and piercing acidity.”

Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge 2024 winners, listed alphabetically:

• Anthonij Rupert Cape of Good Hope Van Lill Chenin Blanc 2023   
• Flagstone Paradigm Chenin Blanc Reserve 2023
• Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Chenin Blanc 2023
• Knorhoek Chenin Blanc 2022
• Lievland Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2023
• Nabygelegen Rudmatis Chenin Blanc 2022
• Stellenrust Secrets & Lies Chenin Blanc 2023
• Stellenrust Old Bush Vine Chenin Blanc 2023
• Stellenrust Next FN Level Old Bush Vine Chenin Blanc 2023        
• Zevenwacht Z Collection Chenin Blanc 2023

Stellenrust is the most consistent winner in the history of the Challenge, having featured in the line-up with multiple wines over the years.  Anthonij Rupert is a repeat winner, as are Flagstone and Lievland. First-time winners are Knorhoek and Zevenwacht.