FMC: Ken Forrester and the Chenin Blanc Crusade

Ken Forrester believes that mincing is for steak tartare and Hungarian meatballs, and as those who know him can attest to, not for words. Because these he does not mince. I remember once querying his decision – a task in itself requiring fortitude and braveness – why he gave up a colourful culinary career in Johannesburg to head to Stellenbosch in 1993 to begin a wine business.

“I just wanted to make the best wine in the world,” came the answer, casually emitted into the air as we sipped white wine, his raised silver eyebrow requesting the next question. In this quest, Ken has become arguably the most profound South African exponent and disciple of the Chenin Blanc variety. Irina von Holdt, Michael Fridjhon and Harold Eedes of the late Wine Magazine were, too, exceptionally inspirational parties in this crusade. But with his formidable personality, relentless work ethic and the kind of willpower Eben Etzebeth shows when hitting a ruck, Ken will for me always be the Lion Heart of Chenin Blanc’s revival.

There is, of course, no “best wine in the world”. But Ken made one befitting his interpretation therefore, and this is the FMC Chenin Blanc which was first released from the 2000 vintage and is duly recognised as one of the Cape’s finest vinous offerings from this variety.

It is, too, my favourite Chenin Blanc, a fact I was reminded of recently when I sought a bottle of wine to accompany a slice of foie gras that had been smuggled into the country from my friend in Toulouse. I mean, I am not going to drink this wine with just anything surely.

Current vintage of FMC be 2024, meaning this year’s still-to-be released rendition will celebrate 25 years of its being. An ominous occasion, for sure, and the sheer beauty of FMC 2024 will ensure me copiously celebrating the quarter-century anniversary when the time comes.

Made from a vineyard planted in 1970, grapes for FMC Chenin Blanc are harvested at various stages of ripeness to provide a diverse palette of flavour and textural profiles for the winemaker and his team to work with. The wine undergoes spontaneous fermentation in French oak barrels, 50% of which are new, after which it is aged on its lees for a further year.

The result is truly astounding, underscoring Ken’s belief that Chenin Blanc is capable of making some of the best white wines on the planet. This the FMC does with a vivid, visceral appeal to so many senses: the shimmering pale gold hue in the glass; those heady aromas of warm ripe apple, oyster shell and lemon peel; the way the wine cloaks the mouth with a lingering glycerol coating, rich and decadent, while piercing flavours of citrus, honeysuckle and grilled nuts elevate the pleasure to the realms of the surreal.

Now, why would this be my most desired, heartfelt Chenin Blanc?

Because there is a crucial element that is hardly mentioned in the notes from esteemed wine critics and the breathless missives of marketers, and that is sheer deliciousness.

Comments of precision, balance and nuance in wine are scattered about like exhausted autumn oak tree leaves gathering in an uninspiring heap. There is much talk on poise, elegance and layered complexity. But at the end of the day, thigh-tingling, mouth-watering deliciousness must be present in a wine deemed to be fine and good and excellent and brilliant.

And this is what, for me, sets FMC apart from many of the highly-rated Chenin Blancs spoken about in hushed tones of reverence and so gushingly written about. FMC is, along with all the building blocks required for its achieving status and pedigree and accuracy of chemistry, a sumptuous and satisfyingly delicious wine.

I love the opulent, blousy and silky presence. The flavours and taste of ripe white fruit and pastoral life lit by the late-afternoon warm glow of a setting sun are tasty, moreish and gorgeous. The generosity of flower and of fruit. This satisfies and fulfils, rewards and captivates, and yes, at that moment makes for the best wine in the world.