- The Grape
Spotlight on Forester Estate Winery
WA’s Forester Estate prides itself on being hyper local and showcasing the best of Margaret River – no wonder their wines punch well above their weight.
Kevin McKay, Forester Estate’s owner and winemaker, has a simple philosophy: “Wines are made in the vineyard. Everything we do is about getting our wines to represent the fruit that grows in the region,” he says. Part of that process is letting the grapes talk to you while they’re still on the vine. “We don’t make wine to a formula,” Kevin says. “Every batch is treated as an individual batch. We do a lot of assessment of the fruit before it’s picked and we generally have a plan of how we’re going to look after that fruit in the winery to really capture its character and reflect the region.”
Regionality is important at Forester Estate. “We’re a 100% Margaret River producer and we only access fruit from the northern part of the region,” Kevin explains. “That area gets two-to-three weeks of extended ripening so for the whites we’re able to push into those riper fruit characters. And the reds display these lovely silky smooth tannins the further north you go.”
Great wine styles from Margaret River
Kevin knows that making great chardonnays and cabernets is part and parcel of producing wine in the Margaret River region but for him, the quiet achiever is semillon sauvignon blanc. “I think semillon grown here is such an underrated variety,” he says. “We get all those grassy herbaceous characters but we also get those lovely tropical fruit flavours as well. And with sauvignon blanc, you get those blackcurrant and tropical notes. I like to say ‘it’s a wine made in heaven’,” he says. The vintner says a sip of his Forester Estate Lifestyle Semillon Sauvignon Blanc is all you need to understand what he’s talking about.
Just don’t be surprised if you’re left wanting more when you finish a glass of Forester Estate wine. The team puts a lot of effort into every last drop. “That last mouthful should invite you to the next glass,” Kevin says. “We spend an awful lot of time on the finish of our wines. A lot of people spend too much time on the upfront palate. It’s the finish that invites you back for more.”
Now try these Forester Estate wines
Once you’ve tried the Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, explore these other wines from Forester Estate.
Forester Estate Lifestyle Rosé: “This is a fruit bomb,” Kevin says. “We work with the fruit in the vineyard to ensure it has good sunlight, good exposure, even ripening, no green tannins … then it’s hands off wine making.” The result is a delicate rosé with good acid and great length.
Forester Estate Premium Chardonnay: This chardonnay was a finalist in the ‘Premium White (Bolder Varietals)’ category in our Best Of Wine Awards 2023, and for good reason: it’s beautifully balanced with nice oak and great acidity. “We love a textural chardonnay,” Kevin says. “This one has layers of flavour because the grapes are sourced from three different properties in the region.”
Products featured are available from 15/11/23 to 26/12/23, while stocks last. Some products or varieties featured may not be available in all stores.
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