Chenin Blanc@The Beautiful South tasting, Olympia, London

 Beautiful South Tasting@Olympia – Argentina, Chile and South Africa

I spent a fair chunk of time@the Beautiful South tasting at Olympia. This is the first edition of this combined tasting with Argentina, Chile and South Africa getting together. I spent much of my time there tasting Chenin Blanc from South Africa. 

 Ken Forrester: The long established King of South African Chenin Blanc

The fine FMC is Ken's top Chenin with a production of 1000 cases 

 Bruwer Raats: Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc specialist

@Raats Family Wines

Excellent Old Vine Chenin 

 Ina Smith, manager of the Chenin Blanc Association

 Andrea Mullineux, winemaker for Mullineux Family Wines 

tasting their beautifully balanced 2012 Chenin Blanc Straw Wine 

  

 Johan Reyneke, vine hugger@reyneke

Decidedly humbling few moments to be told by Johan Reyneke that my visit back in 2001, not long after they started out (1998) and were then making wine in a cow shed, had been encouraging and an inspiration. I had liked their Chenin and cited it in the article I wrote for Decanter on South African Chenin. Johan told me that this had persuaded them that they were making better wine than they thought.

 

Was sorry not to have had a chance to take shots of Gary Jordan (Jordan Wine Estate) as I was impressed with the concentration and texture of his 2012 Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc. Unfortunately he had departed for lunch when I was going round taking a few snaps. 

 Appalling lack of properly controlled visitor screening  

– they let anyone into these tastings...