Spier Private Collection Chenin Blanc 2004 has won South Africa's premier Chenin Blanc competition; the WINE magazine Tops at Spar Chenin Blanc Challenge 2006. The wine was awarded 4½ Stars in the John Platter Guide to South African Wine 2006, paralleling the achievement of its predecessor, Spier Private Collection Chenin Blanc 2003, which won 4½ stars in 2005.
Of the 88 wines entered into the Chenin Blanc Challenge this year, an unprecedented five entries were awarded 4½ Stars, with ten achieving a 4 Star-rating.
The winning wine was produced by White Winemaker Eleonor Visser from trellised, 13 year-old vines hand-harvested at a yield of six tons per hectare. The wine was fermented and matured in French oak barrels over a period of 14 months.
