Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Ken Forrester — The FMC Chenin Blanc 2024
Stellenbosch, South Africa 🇿🇦

Overview: 
A benchmark, world-class expression of South African Chenin Blanc, showcasing depth, precision, and layered complexity. The FMC represents Ken Forrester’s top selection, crafted for texture, longevity, and serious terroir expression rather than easy immediacy.

Aromas & Flavors: 
Lovely ripe baked pear leads the aromatics, followed by subtle citrus peel, gentle tropical tones, and floral hints of acacia. The palate leans more stony and yellow-fruited than juicy, with honeydew, orchard fruit, and a refined mineral thread carrying through the mid-palate.

Mouthfeel: 
Elegant, structured, and finely layered. Not plush or overtly rich, instead focused, composed, and quietly powerful with excellent tension and balance.

Food Pairings: 
Roast poultry with herbs, grilled seafood with citrus butter, seared scallops, creamy risotto, aged Alpine cheeses, or Moroccan-spiced dishes.

Verdict: 
A sophisticated, cerebral Chenin Blanc that rewards attention. Precision meets quiet power, delivering complexity without heaviness and showing clear aging potential.

Did You Know?: 
FMC stands for Forrester’s Mission Chenin, named after the original Mission Station vineyard block that inspired this flagship cuvée, now regarded as one of South Africa’s most collectible and age-worthy Chenin Blancs.

🍷 Personal Pick: 
This is the kind of Chenin that reminds you why the Cape has earned global respect, layered, disciplined, mineral-driven, and deeply expressive. Serious wine, serious pleasure. — 8 days ago

Some Dude

9.0

Wonderful lush blue fruit. Moderate tannin and moderate acidity. We had a spicy zaalouk and it was a magnificent pairing. Great winemaking by a historic winemaker. — 2 months ago

Scott E. Becker

9.1

[Tasted on October 3, 2025 at etc. in Nashville]

Black cherry, raspberry and blueberry fruit, with black tea, cola, rose petal and mandarin orange notes. — 9 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Château Cantenac Brown 2023 – Margaux, BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
Shockingly high-performing 2023 showing precision, finesse, and immediate pleasure well beyond expectation, an outstanding blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, delivering a dangerously complete Margaux that already behaves like a future benchmark while still promising upside with time.

Aromas & Flavors
Explosive aromatics of red cherry, raspberry coulis, wild strawberry, rose petal, subtle vanilla, light cocoa dust, fine cedar spice, and polished mineral tones.

Mouthfeel
Silky, flowing, and beautifully balanced with fine-grained tannins, graceful mid-palate lift, energetic drive, and a lingering yet perfectly measured finish that dances rather than weighs.

Food Pairings
Duck breast with cherry glaze, herb-crusted rack of lamb, filet mignon, mushroom risotto, aged Comté or Gruyère.

Verdict
A stunning overachiever that combines immediate drinkability with elite structure and elegance. Precision, aromatic intensity, and textural finesse place this firmly among the top Margaux performers of the vintage.

🍷 Personal Pick
This wine positively shocked me, had to enjoy few glasses just to believe it. Pure finesse, graceful flow, and championship-level balance already. Will get more bottles of this vintage with confidence. — 14 days ago

John Berggren

9.5

Wonderful 2016 bottle. Soft tannins, plum and subtle berries. Delightful finish. — 16 days ago

Andrew Formi

9.2

Must visit… — 4 months ago

Brennan Roy

9.0

Dark berry fruit forward, baking spices, luscious mouth feel, balanced tannins with cherry pie finish. Delightful. — 14 days ago

Mark S.

9.0

Ruby red. Raspberry and strawberry, slightly sweet and charming. Fresh fruity, red tea. Fruitiness M+ Sweetness M+ Acidity M+ from cool climate. Tannin M soft Bitterness M Body M+ Finish M Ken Wright Cellars Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 24 @1500/G, G5, 260203 — 2 days ago

Jeremiah

9.1

Berry smooth medium — 2 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Brio de Cantenac Brown – 2020
Margaux, Bordeaux – France 🇫🇷

Overview
Brio is the second wine of Château Cantenac Brown, offering a more accessible take on Margaux. This 2020 vintage is composed of 62% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Cabernet Franc, aged in French oak (25% new) to balance fruit, structure, and approachability. 
Aromas & Flavors
Juicy red fruits—raspberry, red currant—merge with cedar, baking spice, and subtle floral lift. Earthy and graphite tones bring depth.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full body, with soft but persistent tannins. The wine opens smoothly and finishes long with fruit and spice echoing.

Food Pairings
Roast lamb, duck breast, mushroom risotto, or aged cheeses. Also pairs beautifully with charcuterie.

Verdict
A concentrated, value-driven Margaux that shows the pedigree of Cantenac Brown. The 2020 Brio balances power and elegance — drink now or cellar for 8–12 years. 🍷 cheers!

Did You Know? 📌
Second wines (like Brio) are often sourced from younger vines or lots not selected for the Grand Vin, yet in 2020 Cantenac Brown treated it with care: the blend leans more Merlot than the Grand Vin to give earlier approachability. — 4 months ago