Fortes Sauvignon Blanc 2022 (South Africa) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a lovely, cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa. It is a brand-new wine that arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on March 16th.

It is produced by Fortes Family Wines, a boutique winery that was established and is led by Neil Fortes. Having known Neil for many years, he is also the owner of Wine Guru Selections Inc., a wine agency and distributor based in Ontario who specializes in representing and merchandising wines in Canada and has over 40 years of experience in the wine trade. The Fortes family originated in Spain and can be traced back to the time of Queen Isabella in the 15th century. During their history, they migrated to Russia, where they were grain merchants in Melitopol, in southeastern Ukraine. At the beginning of the 19th century, the family migrated to the U.S., followed by a migration to South Africa during the last century.

Today, Neil Fortes spends his time between Canada and South Africa. Fortes Family Wines is situated in the pristine Napier valley, close to Cape Agulhas, at the southernmost tip of the African continent. The name "fortes" means "strong" in Spanish, which also describes the strength and intensity of the wines they are crafting. Located in this region, the temperate climate allows Fortes to produce groundbreaking, cool-climate wines of enormous extract and quality. Furthermore, the soils are of great complexity and structure. Fortes Family wines is also a proud member of the Agulhas Wine Triangle, a non-profit company that was established in 2019 to showcase the wines, tourism, and natural beauty of the Agulhas area.

In general, the 2022 growing season in South Africa was cooler and produced a slightly smaller harvest, with promising wine quality. Let's see how this 2022 Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

FORTES SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 - WO Napier, South Africa (#33297) (XD) - $23.95
Lightly matured in small oak casks, this Sauvignon Blanc is fresh, fragrant, and highly aromatic with pretty aromas of passion fruit, kiwi, and guava layered over citrus, flowers, and touches of mineral. It's medium+ bodied and gently spicy on the palate with delicious passion fruit, kiwi, guava, and lemon citrus replays on the flavour profile. It's supported by fresh, bracing acidity and a gently chalky textured mouthfeel on the mid-palate. Succulent and juicy with passion fruit, citrus, and guava notes tapering to a long, leesy mineral finish. Enjoy this fantastic, highly recommended buy over the next 3-4 years. Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines by Fortes Family Wines can be ordered through their Agent - Wine Guru Selections Inc.