WTN: Ken Forrester 2004 Stellenbosch Petit Chenin

I'm always on the lookout for that inexpensive Chenin Blanc that belies its price. Here's one from South Africa that meets the criteria in spades. I picked it up at the Village Corner in Ann Arbor on the way home from yet another trip to Kalamazoo - our granddaughter is growing too fast to stay away from her for long.

The first whiff and taste told both Nancy and me that this was a good one. But how to describe it? She suggested figs. Dried fruit I said, but not figs. Ever the empiricist, she opened a jar of figs and we smelled. Definitely not figs we agreed, but the smell from the jar so overpowered the wine that it might not have been fair. I retreated to my NYT and the Tigers-A's game. A few minutes later Nancy appears and says close your eyes. She has me smell one thing and then another. They smelled almost exactly the same! One was the wine and the other a bag of dates. So it was dates, not figs, and dried fruit had been right on.

How about the taste? For Nancy the best description remained dates. I got that, but something else as well. I tried diesel, but she didn't like it and I couldn't muster much enthusiasm for it either. Then I said "oily" and we both agreed that was it.

The taste is long and the feel medium bodied. All in all, a very satisfying wine at $9.49

Dan,
Thanks for the note. I've seen this on the shelves here but have not pulled the trigger as yet. Sounds like a wine I might enjoy, so I'll pick one up next time they let me out of the nursing home on an afternoon pass.
Redwinger

Nice note Dan. Ken Forrester makes very good chenin and if you can buy it in the USA,its well worth paying extra for his top of the range FMC chenin. Beautifully made wine,full of tropical fruit flavours,quite complex with a super long finish.
Ken also makes a quite brilliant "stickie" called T Noble Late Harvest made from botrytised chenin.
And to cap it all,he owns a great restaurant,just about 10 minutes from my home in the Cape.

I've been dreaming of a trip to South Africa for some time now Keith, and your note just might have provided the clincher. Sounds delightful. If traveling nowadays weren't so godawful there would be no question. Just a few weeks ago we and 300 other sardines spent 2 hours packed together on the tarmac in Denver, followed later by 1 1/2 hours on the tarmac in Chicago. It's par for the course these days, but still I was struck by how many of those around us accepted it all as normal. They also tended be younger and probably never knew when flying was actually fun. But I'll have to get over it if a South Africa trip is ever to be. Best regards.

Dan

[Jenise]

Dan, I too have recommended that wine. It's everything you say, and more varietal character than you expect for the money.

Well if you decide to come,Dan just let me know and I shall be pleased to show you round,take you for lunch and/dinner.
It really is a very beautiful country,and quite safe no matter what you may read about security. I know there are direct flights from Atlanta to the Cape and the winelands is only 30 minutes from the airport.
PM if you need any info/advice on where to stay etc etc.

Keith, the Ken Forrester regular chenin is available here in the states, and is about 1/3 higher in price at or around $15 per 750. I agree it is a heck of a bargin at the price.

Dan the regular bottle of the Forrester chenin is available in Ann Arbor at the wine store (can't remember the name) that replaced the old Merchant of Vino on Plymouth road. If you try this store you will be amazed at how much better it is than the old M o V.

Bob H, as there is no Tahbilk Marsanne here maybe I should stock up on some more of the CB!!!

Bob, I feel so sorry for you that you can not get the Tahbilk Marsanne, but I promise that if you can get within range I will open one each of several vintages for you. Now about the Ken Forrester chenin, I say yes, if you can get his chenin for under $20 Cdn, then you should try it. I have never had the petit, but the regular is a no brainer.

Well if you decide to come,Dan just let me know and I shall be pleased to show you round,take you for lunch

We have some very good wine here in the Finger Lakes too. Come over and I will be glad to show you around.

Bob H, The FMC chenin I was referring too is the top of the range.Ken Forrester also makes, a standard chenin,which is the wine I assume you are referring too.Also very nice and made from 30 year old bush vines.

Dan, have to admit ,never heard of Finger Lakes.What sought of wine is found there? Is it a cool climate area?

Dan, have to admit ,never heard of Finger Lakes.What sought of wine is found there? Is it a cool climate area?

Yes it's cool climate. I'll tack on a couple of URLs here that come up when Googling Finger Lakes wines.

Riesling has become the premier wine in the last 10 years or so. People in the know say that the best FL Riesling is as good as it gets. For many years, the conventional wisdom was that vinifera could not be grown here because of the cold. That finally was put to rest in the 60's. Vinifera and French hybrids are all over the place now (but virtually no Chenin, Sauvignon Blanc, or Merlot). Also, there are some signs of a small renaissance in wine from native grapes. In the old days the Finger Lakes was known for sweet wines from these grapes. Now some are being finished dry.

Besides the good wine it's beautiful country. Long, thin lakes reminding some of the river valleys of Germany are bounded by steep hillsides. The lakes are deep enough, one more than 600 feet, that the vines are provided some protection from winter cold.

Dan

http://www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com/

http://www.winecountrycabins.com/to_do/wine/

Dan, have to admit ,never heard of Finger Lakes.What sought of wine is found there? Is it a cool climate area?

Keith

It is in the north-west part of New York state -- see my report of my visit there at end of 2003 http://www.wineloverspage.com/reports/ny2003.phtml

and details of the 47 different varieties used for wine that I found there are at http://www.winelabels.org/arta2z.htm

Dan the regular bottle of the Forrester chenin is available in Ann Arbor at the wine store (can't remember the name) that replaced the old Merchant of Vino on Plymouth road. If you try this store you will be amazed at how much better it is than the old M o V.

Thanks for the tip Bob. I don't really know Ann Arbor very well, although one of our daughters graduated from U of M and we visited there many times. A great university, but my major remembrance are the bills for the highest out of state tuition rate in the country.

Now we only stop in AA occasionally on the way between Kalamazoo and Syracuse. I will make a note of the store in Plymouth. I've also heard that a store called Big Ten in AA is pretty good too. Nice to have so many good wine stores in one place.

Dan, I just remembered the name of the store on Plymouth. It is Bello Vino Marketplace and they have a web presence, but it is not very good at all. Their selection is good, and for Michigan their prices are competitive. For better prices in Ann Arbor try Sam's Club.

Bob H, The FMC chenin I was referring too is the top of the range.Ken Forrester also makes, a standard chenin,which is the wine I assume you are referring too.Also very nice and made from 30 year old bush vines.

Dan, have to admit ,never heard of Finger Lakes.What sought of wine is found there? Is it a cool climate area?

After posting some negative thoughts on the UK wine forum, just to say that the `04 Forrester CB is one of the misses of this year. Just opened, an off bottle maybe, but not sure where it`s off!!!! The Pine Ridge blew this one out of the water. Stay tuned.

After posting some negative thoughts on the UK wine forum, just to say that the `04 Forrester CB is one of the misses of this year.

Hmm. I tasted a Forrester CB at the AWS conference that also disappointed. I had approached it with high hopes too. Don't know which year it was.

[Jenise]

Bob, surely you had an off bottle. No way any Pine Ridge I've ever had is as good as the Forrester is.

There was a discussion a while back about correct temp to store white wines. This one was in a kitchen fridge for over a year at a very cold temp. Maybe we can have a discussion about this possible problem?

Bob, surely you had an off bottle. No way any Pine Ridge I've ever had is as good as the Forrester is.

That is my whole point in a round about way!!! PR I find quite sweet and lots of tropical fruits, should have tasted the Dry Creek maybe? I have some Vouvrays but did not want to open at this time.

There was a discussion a while back about correct temp to store white wines. This one was in a kitchen fridge for over a year at a very cold temp. Maybe we can have a discussion about this possible problem?

I think as long as it didn't freeze it shouldn't kill the wine, it will just slow down its development. Of course fridges are really dry so if it has a cork it could dry out in that time and oxidise the wine, but otherwise I can't imagine it harming the wine.

-O-

Thanks Otto, the cork was composite and cheap looking!!....but serves its purpose no doubt.I have put out some questions around here so hope for some answers. Think I will up the temp though to be on the safe side.

I'm always on the lookout for that inexpensive Chenin Blanc that belies its price. Here's one from South Africa that meets the criteria in spades. I picked it up at the Village Corner in Ann Arbor on the way home from yet another trip to Kalamazoo - our granddaughter is growing too fast to stay away from her for long.

The first whiff and taste told both Nancy and me that this was a good one. But how to describe it? She suggested figs. Dried fruit I said, but not figs. Ever the empiricist, she opened a jar of figs and we smelled. Definitely not figs we agreed, but the smell from the jar so overpowered the wine that it might not have been fair. I retreated to my NYT and the Tigers-A's game. A few minutes later Nancy appears and says close your eyes. She has me smell one thing and then another. They smelled almost exactly the same! One was the wine and the other a bag of dates. So it was dates, not figs, and dried fruit had been right on.
How about the taste? For Nancy the best description remained dates. I got that, but something else as well. I tried diesel, but she didn't like it and I couldn't muster much enthusiasm for it either. Then I said "oily" and we both agreed that was it.

The taste is long and the feel medium bodied. All in all, a very satisfying wine at $9.49

Here is my take on the bottle I opened last night. It`s now midday the day after and have a few more positive notes!!! But chenin it ain`t.

WTN:`04 Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc Petit Chenin, Stellenbosch.

Light lemon in colour, very little in way of legs. Nose starting to show some apple after 24 hrs, but initially little of distinction...chalky, floral and some herbs. Think very untypical for a CB with initial mouthfeel entry. Bland, short finish and little varietal character. Nothing remote like the blah blah in back label. I know my Chenin, this ain`t it.

******* after 24 hrs, shows a bit more on the finish with apple and pear, better acidity but not a good bottle in my book at all.

Bob, I have not had the Forrester Petit chenin, but have had the next step up, and that one IS chenin. From the sound of your report, the petit doesn't sound like much. I have noticed that you pay a lot more attention to "legs" than do I, as I don't really think they tell me anything much. But of course that is what makes the world go around. The next step up sells down here for around $15-16 per 750ml, and at that price it is a good drop. I do love the better chenin, even those with some sugar ala Vouvray. I picked up a bottle of the 2002 Baumard Clos de Papillion and am anxious to try it. Of course that one is a bit more $$ than the Forrester.