Ken Forrester Petit Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot – A Marvelous Value

Over the past year, I’ve found myself becoming more and more a fan of South African wines.  Of course with any region there are going to be some wines that are better than others — and some producers who are better that others.  And Ken Forrester is quckly becoming my “go to” producer from South Africa.

I’ve mentioned before, quite recently in fact, that I like to find producers who are consistent.  And so far, the wines I’ve tasted  from Ken Forrester have been consistently good.  His chenin blanc is phenomenal and the reds I’ve had have also been quite tasty.

By the name, you might guess there’s some petit sirah in this wine, but you’d be wrong.  This wine is a blend of 67% cabernet sauvignon and 33% merlot.  Previous vintages of it have been named “best value” by a couple different critics and I’d say this vintage is a marvelous value too.

Cherry, blackberry, tree bark and plum aromatics make for a rich and delightful nose with character.  The palate is rich, with concentrated black cherry, strawberry, plum and blackberry flavors.  There’s more fruit in this wine than in Carmen Miranda’s hat!  It has a touch of spice too on the mid-palate and into the finish.

It’s a very tasty wine, and I’d say particularly good for burgers.  In terms of value, it’s out of this world!

Wine: Ken Forrester Petit Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot
Variety: 67% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 88
Price: $10.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.