Chenin blanc

Synonymy

In Bulgaria, Chenin is officially designated as “Shanin”. This synonym is officially recognized in France regarding plant propagation material.

Registration Information

In France, Chenin is officially listed in the “Catalogue of vine varieties” on the A list and is classified for wine grapes. This variety is also listed in the catalogues of other Member States of the European Union: Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain.

Cultivation and Vine Characteristics

Chenin is a vigorous and fertile variety whose production potential depends a lot on the agronomic soil fertility where it is grown. It is susceptible to heat. Budburst is early. After a spring frost, the secondary buds demonstrate very low fertility. The bunches are medium to large, and the berries range from small to medium in size.

Wine Characteristics

Depending on the growing conditions and terroirs (limestone, schists), this variety can be used to produce sparkling wines, white wines, or liqueur wines. The acidity potential is high, and the wines produced are elegant, generally quite lively, with aromas of honey.

Susceptibility to Diseases and Pests

Chenin is particularly susceptible to Botrytis, powdery mildew and wood diseases. It is more resistant to downy mildew, black rot and to Anthracnose.

Clonal selection in France

The fourteen certified Chenin clones carry the numbers 220, 278, 416, 417, 624, 880, 982, 1018, 1206, 1207, 1208, 1209, 1286 and 1348. More than 300 clones are planted in a conservatory in the wine-growing region of Anjou since 1996. Another conservatory-collection of fifteen or so clones was planted in the French department of Aveyron in 1995.