2023 The FMC

As I mentioned in my main introduction, few go out there and bang the drum for their winery as much as Ken Forrester, so it's no surprise he was away when I visited. But that gave me a chance to chew the fat with winemaker Shawn Mathyse and commercial manager Louw Strydom, who offered valuable insights about the domestic market. With regard to the wines, they have an all-encompassing range from entry-level, frankly dirt-cheap wines to some of the Cape’s icons with everything in between. There is something for everyone really, somehow bestriding traditionally made wines with natural, such as the inaugural Fairy Dust Field Blend. Still, the highlight is The FMC, their superb take on Chenin Blanc that demanded some 23 passes through the vines, while the fifth iteration of his Dirty Little Secret, made from a solera of the same variety, is also well worth a look.