FORRESTER 09 FMC CB
ROBERT PARKER 93 POINTS - " Sourced from Chenin Blanc vines planted in 1967, with natural wild yeast fermentation, and raised in about 85% new oak, the flagship 2009 The FMC has a beautifully defined, intoxicating bouquet with lemon curd, frangipane, almond and just a touch of nutmeg. The palate has a rounded, waxy texture with wonderful harmony and precision. There are subtle flavours of dried apricot, brioche, vanilla, a touch of honey (perhaps a little botrytis) and a hint of spice. Seductive, harmonious and very focussed, The FMC is a sublime expression of South African Chenin Blanc. Drink now-2020"WINE SPECTATOR 92 POINTS - " Ripe and lush, with delicious creamed pear, ginger, heather and fig kept honest by fresh acidity that's well-embedded on the toasty finish. This really stretches out in the glass too, with pear eau-de-vie and hazelnut oil notes lingering on the finish. Gorgeous. Drink now through 2014. 200 cases imported."
This iconic Chenin is a benchmark South African bottling, and what Ken Forrester considers to be the ultimate expression of the Chenin Blanc grape. The grapes are grown in Ken Forrester’s estate vineyards at the foot of the Helderberg in Stellenbosch.
The vineyards are farmed organically, and everything is done by hand. Grapes for the FMC are hand selected from a single block of low yielding Chenin bush vines planted in 1974. Each vine is pruned to 5 or 6 shoots, with 1 bunch per shoot. They are planted in Clovelly — a deep yellow sandy soil — on south-southwest-facing slopes.
(Cape Classic web site) .
