AWS Tasting at Grand Cru Classes ~ October 2010

The tasting featured a collection of Chenin Blancs from South Africa and ranged in price from $5.00/bottle to $55.00/bottle. The majority of the wines were dry, but the final wine was a noble late harvest Chenin Blanc

The crowd favorites, based on the AWS evaluation and scoring (20 point scale) were as follows:

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2008, Stellenbosch, South Africa – coming in with an average score of 15.5; I had it at 16
At $13.00, this was a lot of wine for the money – complex aromas of tropical fruit, botrytis and lanolin, richness on the palate, medium+ length

At 16.2, Ken Forrester’s FMC 2007, Stellenbosch, South Africa neared the top of the list, but, at $55.00, the group was less inclined to purchase it. Aromas of nuts, yeast, botrytis and spice; lush tropical fruit, oak, spice, with a caramelized note in the long length.

The highest scoring wine of the night was the Darling Cellars Onyx (Noble Late Harvest) 2008, with an average 16.4. $20.00 for a 375 ml bottle – not too bad for a dessert wine, especially one with the complexity and balance that this one showed. Aromas of honey, licorice, spice and apricot; medium sweet on the palate with honey and tangerine; long length.