Rising in defense here, first of the Raats, then of South African Chenins, but mostly for Chenin Blanc itself.
Chenin is an incredible grape. It is incredible in its versatility (both in quality and style and geographic range, but versatile in terms of yield as well). It can be, and often is, bland, thin, acidic, but is also capable of being the most transcendent wine, whether sweet or semi-sweet, or bone dry. It also makes a wide range of sparkling wines too.
It can be decent, bland jug wine in its ephemeral form, or it is capable of living easily for 50---60---70 years....and going through the most amazing changes in the process.
The best Chenin usually shows a honeyed character overlaying an astonishing acidity, acidity that can screech when young, or when made from under ripe grapes or in bad years, but when it is balanced between fruit and acidity and sugars, it can have an enticing aroma of wet straw or hay---not moldy, mind you, but fresh wet hay, like walking through a field of grass and flowers after a spring rainfall!
But Chenin also can have a haunting, hard-to-describe character, sometimes like fresh melons, sometimes like a sweet/sour sauce, sometimes like tamarind. Sometimes it is more floral; sometimes the fruit dominates.
Chenin is variable, highly variable wherever it is grown. When it's overcropped, poorly farmed, and poorly handled, it can be bland, yes. But when care is shown, in the vineyard and the winery, it can be one of the most thrilling wine experiences. All that applies to South African Chenin as well, by the way.
Don't base your estimation of SA Chenin on the single example. Keep at it, Paul. Your epiphany will happen.