whin.es weekly

John John Forrest Forrest wines.

The intro I got from Dr John Forrest this week was excellent. He's like a John Candy playing James Bond, cool and witty, friendly but deadly. Well not deadly, but he makes damn fine wine. The first thing he ever said to me was "Hi, John, John Forrest, Forrest wines" and since then, to me, he's been John John Forrest Forrest.

The Forrest winery in New Zealand is really interesting. With a bunch (great pun) of different labels to differentiate between the different styles of wines he makes, which also provides the customer with a clear indication they are different. You would almost think they different producers alltogether. There is the standard 'Forrest' label with excellent examples of classic New Zealand wines, the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are simply delicious. The 'John Forrest Collection' wines are tip top, usually aged, or late released expressions of Marlborough, the 2006 Syrah and 2004 Chardonnay really stand out. Also the 'Tatty Bogler' range, priced somewhere between the Forrest and Forrest Collection, but from John's vineyards in the southern region of the south island in Otago, a superb Pinot Gris and a Pinot Noir. The climate is cooler in the south, for slower ripening giving more gentle and delicate flavours. (Tatty Boggler is Scottish for Scarecrow, but in John's New Zealand accent it sounds like 'Titty Burgler' with I kept giggling at...)

Luckily, John flew into England last week and flew around some wine shops, did a wine tasting dinner and flew home. All in a weeks work. Luckily enough I got to meet the man himself, for the second time. It's excellent to see someone so passionate about the wines he produces and its refreshing to listen to him talk about them so candidly, with no pretense or ceremony, just "Here's a wine, I made it like this and it smells like this and it tastes great". (Obviously in more detail than that, but in that approach and style) His trip to the wine shop consisted of a twenty five minute run through of four of his wines (he makes loads, we stock about fifteen of his wines and there are more we don't stock).

The reason John was in the UK was to talk about and promote his two newest lables. The 'Doctors' range (John, technically, is Dr John Forrest) is his label for innovative and experimental wines. Grapes that are unusual to New Zealand such as his Arneis and Gruner Veltliner and anything else he deems experimental! Secondly, his 'Valleys' range, which are all single vineyard wines. The New Zealand climate can change pretty dramatically between small areas of land because of mountains and valleys and proximity to seas and winds. All that combined with different soil types, a single vineyard wine can have a distinct character within a much broader region such as Marlborough.

The wines we tasted were:

The Doctors 9.5% Sauvignon Blanc. John has worked long and hard, using pretty much trial and error, to produce a characterful, fresh and full flavoured Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, but with lower alcohol. Nobody really knows how he did it but this one is zesty with minerality and just a touch of residual sweetness. Really very drinkable, good for lunchtime (perfect with a caeser or waldorf salad) or just with friends and some chatter.

The Valleys 'Awatare' Sauvignon Blanc. The Awatare vineyard gives this wine an old school freshness. Many modern style examples are getting drier and drier with more minerality, trying to compete with the French Sancerre style, but the older versions 5-10 years ago were much fruiter and livelier and this harks back to those wines. A 2010, 2005 if you will.

The Doctors Gruner Veltliner. The grape is native to Austria (no, not Australia, the European one, Austria) and makes some fine dry wines. I believe John is the only producer in New Zealand to produce wines from this grape. Cool huh? It's similar in style, like a Marlbourgh Sauvignon Blanc is to Sancerre, but it's got punchier and more pronounced aromas and is livelier to taste than its Austrian versions, however, it retains the buttery, oily component with an almondyness to it, very tasty, very interesting.

Tatty Bogler Pinot Noir. The cool climate, 2008 Pinot Noir was just plain lovely. Light bodied, low tannins and the classic mushroomy, cherry Pinot Noir we all love.

And that was that. I did like the fact that John had an inquisitive look at what other wines we had on the tasting counter that day, took one sniff of the Chateaux Musar (from the Lebanon) and tipped it down the sink. He bluntly refused to taste something that "Smells like a used band aid" and "Far to much like a hospital". Brilliant. I'm a little but miffed though, that I didn't get to go to the tasting meal, but it was expensive and sold out before I even realised it was happening.

John is planning a trip for (a VERY limited number of) Adnams staff to go out to New Zealand next March, yes 2012, and spend some time looking at vineyards and travelling around learning the climate and environment and much more. I would VERY much like to do that. Sooner if possible. John, if you're reading this...

You may think that I've been paid to write this by John (or Adnams) but I haven't. I'm just impressed with the sheer number of wine styles he produces, not just wines, but actual styles. Imagine how much work goes into growing, harvesting, fermenting, tasting, tweaking, bottling, packaging, marketing, promoting (and drinking) each wine! Go on. I did, and I wrote this.

All that and John still has time to say both of his names twice and introduce himself as John John Forrest Forrest. Amazing.

That's it for now, you can check out my website http://whin.es and follow me on twitter @whinesblog. You can come and see me in-store at the Adnams Cellar & Kitchen Store in Woodbridge, Suffolk. Should you wish.