Wine review: 2011 M.A.N. Family Wines ‘Free Run Steen’ Chenin Blanc

Wines from South Africa can be incredible values. Take this crisp, clean, verdant Chenin Blanc from M.A.N. Family Wines in the Coastal region. It’s made from free-run juice of Chenin Blanc, aged on its lees for several months. With a lovely floral perfume and a bit of that honeyed quality Chenin gets on the finish, this is the perfect little late-summer wine.

Open a bottle for a big bowl of steamed clams, with peel ‘n’ eat shrimp, a glorious shrimp cocktail or some grilled shrimp. In crab season, this would be a good choice with steamed, chilled Dungeness crab. Great with Thai food too.

Region: Agter-Paal, Coastal region, South Africa

Price: $8 to $13

Style: Dry and crisp

What it goes with: Steamed clams, peel ‘n’ eat shrimp, shrimp cocktail, grilled fish

Where to find it: BestWinesOnline, (888) 817-8880, https://www.bestwinesonline.com; Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, (949) 650-8463, https://www.hitimewine.net; John and Pete’s Fine Wines & Spirits in West Hollywood, (310) 657-3080, https://www.johnandpetes.com; Silver Lake Liquor in Los Angeles, (323) 661-7294, https://www.silverlakeliquorshop.com; Southern Hemisphere Wine Center in Huntington Beach, (800) 504-9463, https://www.southernwines.com; the Wine Country in Signal Hill, (562) 597-8303, https://www.thewinecountry.com; Wine Exchange in Orange, (800) 76WINEX, https://www.winex.com; and the Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731, https://www.winehouse.com.

irene.virbila@latimes.com

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