What to Drink This Weekend - 22/09/16 - Secateurs Chenin Blanc, SA

John Keats poem, ‘To Autumn’ written in 1819, reads like a tasting note for A.A. Badenhorst Family Wines, 'Secateurs' Chenin Blanc 2015, Swartland, South Africa.

This delicious Chenin Blanc is my pick for What To Drink This Weekend. It's available in local wine stores retailing around £12-£15.

This week Summer gave way to Fall, the ‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,’ and it feels appropriate to pour of something that reflects and celebrates the arrival of the new season.

Keats poem paints a picture of Fall and of the ripening harvest. What Keats creates in our mind, Secateurs Chenin Blanc delivers in the glass. The bounty of the harvest. Ripe golden apples,  creamy plump hazelnuts touched with vanilla. Heady honeysuckle sweetness and barley sugar give way to a note of dry hay on the nose. The nose continues to the palate which is complemented by a rich, luscious texture.  The acidity is in beautiful harmony and a delicate, dry mineral quality prevails despite the suggestion of sweetness hinted at on the nose. The finish is deliciously long and rich. Perfect drinking and savoring on its own or paired with oven roasted chicken and squash.

Welcome Fall! A beautiful season and a balanced, great value wine!