Ken Forrester Reserve Chenin Blanc – Rich, Creamy, Toasty and Fruity

100% Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch, South Africa.

SRP of $15 and available for as low as $12. Sample received courtesy Cape Classics for review purposes.

From the bottle:

“It is our vision to improve the lot of our labour force by growing our business and thereby providing maximum job opportunities in a market that is desperate for support. We go a step further, we farm sustainably with no herbicides or pesticides, we till by hand, hugely labour intensive, but very satisfying, we prune, thin bunches and leaves all day by hand and finally we harvest by hand. This additional employment we hope goes some way to improving the quality of life in our community and we know that if every community looked after their own, no-one would go wanting. This is our proposal and consequently each bottle is a victory and represents a small change – for the better – in someone’s life.

14.5% Alcohol”

Chenin Blanc is a variety that we haven’t covered much here at The Reverse Wine Snob but that is changing. The last one we tried ended up on our Top 10 Whites list. And while I’m not a huge fan of big buttery Chardonnay, I am a fan of some oak aging and even a few butter notes in Chenin Blanc. Somehow it just seems to work better for me in this variety. And South Africa is the place to go for Chenin Blanc, where it is the most popular variety in the country accounting for around 20% of the vineyard growth.

The 2010 Ken Forrester Reserve Chenin Blanc begins with a really pleasant aroma of apple, pear, melon, lemon meringue and a little toasty spice. The wine tastes full-bodied, rich, creamy, toasty and a bit buttery. The primary flavors when tasting are similar to the bouquet: apple, pear, melon and lemon custard. Add in some nice minerality and good acidity and this is shaping up to be quite a nice wine. Toasty nutty notes come out after the fruit and continue into the lingering finish.

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

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