M.S. Walker
Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc Old Vine Reserve Stellenbosch 2024
Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc Old Vine Reserve Stellenbosch 2024
SOUTH AFRICA : STELLENBOSCH
SUSTAINABLE : Chenin Blanc
MED-BODIED, YELLOW APPLE, LEMON MERINGUE, HAZELNUT, HONEYCOMB, NEUTRAL OAK
Two fermentation streams, one bottle: part of each harvest is naturally fermented in French oak and aged on lees for 10–12 months, the rest goes into stainless steel to hold the citrus and freshness. The barrel batch builds weight, hazelnut, and honeycomb; the tank batch keeps the acidity alive.
The fruit comes from 30-year-plus bush vines in Stellenbosch, farmed without herbicides or pesticides and harvested by hand. A small percentage of botrytis-touched fruit is included deliberately — it's what produces the waxy, honeyed mid-palate that defines this tier.
Wine Spectator 91 pts, #49 on their 2025 Top 100 list. At $20, that's the whole story.
PAIRINGS :
| Pan-seared scallops | lemon meringue and chalky mid-palate echo the brine and sweetness; the tank-fermented brightness acts as a natural squeeze of citrus |
| Thai green curry | body holds up to coconut cream; lees softness rounds the heat rather than amplifying it |
| Roast chicken with herb butter | fat and aromatics match the lees texture and baked apple character without overwhelming either |
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