Wine 100 Magazine, 21-Oct-10

2010 Chenin Blanc - 90 Points

"A stalwart white for Coriole, this represents terrific value for the crisp white lover. Aromas of freshly sliced green apples and pears with hints of lemon citrus - the palate moves into more tropical territory with zesty sweet fruit crunch to finish."

Nick Stock

Herald Sun (Melbourne), 18-Aug-09

2009 Chenin Blanc - five stars

"Many years ago, chenin blanc was used to produce sherry in McLaren Vale, though Coriole's plantings - which started in 1977 -have been dedicated to dry white. What an impressive performer it has been. The'09 is especially good. Crisp and clean with delightful fresh apple and pear characters and a brash and youthful vitality. Exceptional value."

Paddy Kendler

Independent Weekly, 10-Jul-09

2009 Chenin Blanc -

"Another clever, polished wine that shows some really good things came despite the heatwave of '09, this goes one step further down the Coriole track of allegiance to this hardy, naturally acidic variety whose early cuttings probably came from Cape Town in the dawning days of the South Australian colony. Like fresh bosc pears and green apples very lightly poached in lemon juice, the wine is tight and crisp and as bright as a star. It seems to have evolved to accompany the whiting, snapper, and garfish of the Gulf beside which it grew. It's really smart refreshing drinking."

Phillip White

Daily Telegraph, 22-Mar-08

2007 Chenin Blanc - Daily Telegraph (Sydney), Saturday 22/3/2008

Coriole, in SA's McLaren Vale, has been our top exponent of this Loire Valley variety for 25 years. Few producers bother with this variety, which is hard to understand after tasting this. The price is no reflection on quality, with a dry, steely acidity enveloping the apple-like palate. Stockists (02) 8335 8000.

Geraldton Guardian, 27-Feb-08

2007 Chenin Blanc - "Lively and warm"

There are not that many wineries about that do a Chenin Blanc, Amberley being the pick of the bunch. However Coriole Vineyards in South Australia's Mclaren Vale region have had plantings that date back to the late 1970s.

It is no surprise that it is the winery's flagship white. At Coriole, Chenin Blanc couldn't be fresher. Lively, spirited, tropical fruit characters jump out of the glass with the aroma of passion fruit, pear and green melon firmly evident on the nose.

On the palate, sweet apple, pear, mango and a little spice wander around the mouth. A flavoursome and really quite friendly wine with a touch of warmth on the finish that nicely rounds off this easy-going wine.

Chenin Blanc suits a wide range of foods, particularly the aromatic flavours of Thai and Indian cuisine, and can also be served as an aperitif wine.

You may look hard to find this wine in Geraldton, so speak up and ask your local bottleshop to order it in. It's certainly worth it.

Matthew Lawrence

2007 Chenin Blanc - 90 points - Top 100 Wines, Adelaide Advertiser, November 2007

"Here Chenin expresses an expected set of characters like grasses and a weedy lift mixed with flavours of lemon and table grapes and even a hint of bread and honey not unlike certain French styles; it's got crisp acidity and a fullness in the palate that's recognizable and satisfying"

Winestate, 01-Oct-06

2006 Chenin Blanc - best buy less than $15

"Subtle green apple and passionfruit aromas. Sweet fruit balanced by tons of crisp acid and residual sweetness."

The Age (Melbourne), 20-Feb-06

2005 Chenin Blanc - Wine of the Week

Chenin Blanc is one of the great white wine varieties of France, making superb wines in the Loire Valley. Its reputation in Australia is much less vaunted. It doesn't excite most Australian wine drinkers, and with good reason - most of the offerings out there are fairly lacklustre drops.

Coriole's version is an exception. It has pale colour and a fresh aroma of citrus and passionfruit, juicy in the mouth, with a suggestion of fruit-sweetness mid-palate ahead of a tangy, clean finish. A delightfully fresh, warm-weather wine.

2004 Chenin Blanc - Bronze Medal

The 2004 Coriole Chenin Blanc has been awarded a bronze medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

2003 Chenin Blanc - www.wineloverspage.com

This is a clear and very pale straw-color wine with a distinct greenish-brassy hue. Its aroma is focused on ripe, juicy lemons, with an appealing touch of musky melon in the background. There's tart lemon and mixed white fruit in a full flavor that seems bone-dry; any residual sweetness is more than cloaked by firm, structural acidity. There's intriguing contrast in a flavor that's rich and full yet steely and dry, a seeming contradiction that plays out in excellent balance, with subtle minerality joining bright, lemony acidity in a long finish. Looking for Loire analogies, it reminds me more of a Saumur or a Quincy - or maybe even a Savennieres - than a Vouvray, but something about the bold overall package stamps it as Australian.

VALUE: A well-balanced and even ageworthy white wine of real quality and value, this is well worth the mid-teens price.

WHEN TO DRINK: Deliciously fresh for immediate consumption, and the Stelvin screwcap will keep it that way. Given Chenin Blanc's unusual capacity for improvement with cellar time, I wouldn't hesitate to keep it for 10 years or more under good storage conditions. Note also that the 2004 vintage is now coming into the export market, and it should be extremely fresh.

Robin Garr

Winewise, 30-Oct-02

2002 Chenin Blanc - Recommended

"Delivers considerable richness of genuine varietal character supported by typical acidity."