Ken Forrester Sparklehorse Sparkling Chenin Blanc 2019 (South Africa) - Wine Review

Tonight's sparkling wine review is this excellent traditional method bubbly made with Chenin Blanc from South Africa. It arrived at the LCBO today in the June 10 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection and is available for purchase exclusively on lcbo.com and Flagship Exclusive locations.

It is produced by Ken Forrester Vineyards, a winery that was established in 1993 by Ken Forrester and his wife Teresa after they acquired this vacant and derelict farm and homestead at a public auction. Although Ken and Teresa were new to this piece of land, the farm had a long history that can be traced back to the year 1689 and is one of the oldest farms in the Cape. The farm changed hands over the years and a German family took residence in 1833, happily growing vines for nearly 100 years. The property fell on hard times in the early 1990s and eventually found itself at the auction where Ken and Teresa were able to purchase it.

Ken Forrester Vineyards is situated on the slopes of of the Helderberg Mountain in the heart of South Africa's most famous wine region - Stellenbosch. They undertook a massive renovation both in the vineyard and the house, and produced the first wines under their own label a year later. The grapes for his wines were grown on the property, with some vines planted as far back as 1970. Soon after creating his wines, Ken Forrester was at the forefront leading the Chenin Blanc revival and his vineyards today are commonly referred to as the Home of Chenin Blanc.

Like the excellent 2019 Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc that I enjoyed last July, with the 2019 vintage Ken Forrester celebrated 25 years of winegrowing and winemaking in Stellenbosch. Sustainable farming is a core value at Ken Forrester Vineyards. They farm the vineyards without the use of herbicides or pesticides. While labour intensive, they also till, prune, and thin bunches and leaves, and harvest by hand, thereby providing job opportunities and improving the quality of life of the locals and community. As such, each bottle represents change for the better in someone's life.

This dry, vintage sparkling wine is crafted in the traditional method, which is known as Methode Cap Classique in South Africa, with 100% Chenin Blanc from vines that were planted in 1975 in Helderberg, in the south of Stellenbosch. The mature, cool vineyard is irrigated and managed to control yields. As one of the top producers of Chenin Blanc with intimate knowledge of winegrowing, the vineyard is farmed in blocks for a specific wine purpose. Due to the age of the vines and old plant material, there are leafroll viruses present in the block which has an effect on the ripening phase of a vineyard. Thus, by harvesting the fruit early, specifically to create sparkling wines, the pressure on the vineyard is reduced. The grapes were handpicked and sorted to optimize quality prior to crushing. It was aged for 8 months on its lees and a further 28 months sur lattes to develop creaminess and delicate mousse while maintaining the bright fruit notes. Let's see how this 2019 vintage traditional method sparkling wine from South Africa is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

KEN FORRESTER SPARKLEHORSE SPARKLING CHENIN BLANC 2019 - Traditional method, WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#32030) (XD) - $32.95
Lovely fragrant, autolytic, and biscuit aromas with a twist of honey and citrus surround a core of apple, pear, quince, and leesy notes. It's medium-full bodied on the crisp, dry, and tangy palate with lovely citrusy, apple, pear, toasty, biscuit, leesy, and autolytic flavours. Nicely balanced with crisp, lively acidity and a fine, elegant mousse. Leesy mineral and floral notes linger on the long, crisp, lip-smacking finish, with excellent length. Highly recommended buy! Score: 92 pts

The latest vintage of the Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc is available at the LCBO, while other wines from Ken Forrester Vineyards are available through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.