This fall saw the release of three new releases from Lillooet’s Fort Berens winery, a 2020 Chardonnay, a 2019 Cabernet Franc, and the 2019 Merlot dominant Meritage.
The 2019 growing season got off to a normal start, with a dry spring and a typically hot summer with no smoke due to forest fires, though things took a turn during harvest time. It got wet. Then in September, the weather became cool and frost hit early on October 9th. Overall, the growing season saw warmer than usual temperatures, so the red grapes had a chance to reach ripeness with lots of flavour. The crop yield was lower than normal which led to lots of concentration. The grapes were cold-soaked after picking to enhance colour and add complexity.
2019 also saw the decision to extend barrel ageing for their Bordeaux varieties. This also served to enhance complexity and age-ability. The Pinot Noir is aged in French oak barrels for nine months. All their red wines will benefit from further bottle ageing.
January 2021 saw the arrival of Alessandro Nel as viticulturist and winemaker. Originally from Windhoek, Namibia, Alex, as he calls himself, earned his degree at Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute in the Republic of South Africa. He then went on to spend ten years at Cederberg Winery in the Western Cape region, where he produced one of the Top 50 wines listed in the Decanter 2021 World Wine Awards, a 2018 Cederberg Five Generations Cabernet Sauvignon which scored 97 points awarded, while a Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc, received gold medals and 95 points.
Alex has also worked at wineries in California, and France (Burgundy and the Rhone Valley), as well as in New Zealand, so he comes with a wide range of wine-making experiences. Expect big changes with Alex at the helm.
The 2021 harvest stands in contrast to 2019. Record temperatures were recorded in June which caused some sun damage to the young vines. Local fires resulted in smoke in the valley but did not affect the vineyards, so there was no worry of smoke taint. Then things cooled down considerably and the weather remained wet. After veraison, the days were warm and the nights were cool for five weeks prior to harvest, which meant good levels of natural acidity and aromatics in the white grapes. It also meant that the red grapes could remain on the vines long enough to assure ripeness.
Winches Spur Vineyard in Lytton is one of their growers and fortunately was spared from the fires that devastated the town. Fort Berens has made a small-lot Pinot Gris using grapes from the vineyard and it will be released this spring. Proceeds from this wine will be used to help the Lytton building recovery program.
In August, Chardonnay was harvested for a new Blanc de Blanc Sparkling wine. Word has it that it will be made in the traditional way with perhaps as much as three years sur lie. Keep an eye out for this one, as it is sure to impress. The 2021 vintage came to an end on October 23 with the picking of their Cabernet Franc. 2021 saw an above-average harvest for their estate vineyard. The new Red Rock Vineyard, came into production this last year, and while the berries were small due to heat damage, this resulted in greater concentration.
Fort Berens continues to strive towards having more estate and Lillooet fruit in their wines. This year, they harvested 2.8 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Red Rock Vineyard, a first for the winery. Winemaker Alex is very impressed with the quality of the fruit.
2021 white wines, including Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gruner Veltliner will be released later this spring.
The red grapes were not harvested all at once, but rather the ripe grapes were picked block by block as they were ready. This meant several passes through the vineyard. They went on to a cold soak with punch downs every four hours. Some reds sat on their skins for twenty days. Expect some big reds when these are released.
This commitment to improved quality, meant the investment in sixty new barrels to ensure enough space for their enhanced barrel-ageing program which will see wines age in wood for fifteen months. Fort Berens is also moving away from American oak in favour of French.
The challenges continue with mudslides, floods and road closures and COVID. The last two years have seen BC wineries receive a lot of love from their devotees and this support continues to be needed to keep these businesses viable.
Here are some notes on the wines I tasted recently.
2020 Chardonnay
“The majority of the Chardonnay was harvested from our Dry Creek vineyard with about 29% added from a vineyard in Peachland. Mostly fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks; 20% was fermented in new and neutral French oak barrels. Bunches were whole-cluster pressed and settled at ambient room temperature for 12 hours. After settling the juice was racked into tanks and oak barrels. A number of barrels were left to ferment spontaneously. Lees in the barrels were stirred twice a month to enhance the mid-palate weight. Tank and barrel portions were blended in March and bottle in April.”
Straw, tinged with green and medium-minus intensity. The nose is an interplay of lemon, cream, melon, and delicate Fuji apple, pear, toast, and butter. Well balanced. The flavours echo the nose along with some stone fruit and white grapefruit notes followed by a medium-plus intensity. The 2020 vintage is more delicate and elegant than previous vintages.
2019 Cabernet Franc
“Made with predominantly estate-grown grapes that were harvested late in the season for optimal ripeness. The extended hanging time created a ripe, smooth tannin structure. Punch downs and pump-overs ensured good colour and flavour extraction. It was barrel-aged for 15 months in a combination of seasoned French and American oak barrels, and then bottle-aged for an additional 6 months before release.”
Fort Berens Cabernet Franc is always a favourite of mine. Garnet red with medium-deep intensity. Dark fruit and berries, black cherry, raspberry, plum, dusty leaf, and a hint of violets on the nose. Very good balance with firm tannins. The flavours mirror the nose along with menthol and vanilla. The slight hint of bitterness on the medium-plus finish does not detract from the wine in any way. Cellar worthy for five to eight years plus, but if enjoying it soon, give it plenty of time to breathe.
2019 Meritage
“This Meritage is a blend of 88% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Each fraction of grapes was fermented separately and then carefully blended after 15 months of barrel maturation in a combination of seasoned French and American oak barrels. Mainly pump-overs were used for extraction to create this fresh, fruit-forward wine. It was bottle-aged for an additional 6 months before release.”
Garnet red with medium-deep intensity. Classic and aromatic with well-integrated aromas of dark fruit, blackberry, raspberry, cherries, black olives, leather, mint, cinnamon, cloves, and so much more. Well balanced with soft tannins followed by a medium-long lingering finish. Very impressive, likely the best Meritage they have made. Delicious right now and will certainly age well for eight to ten years.
(photos – Sam Hauck, feature image courtesy of the winery)
