Fort Berens's new winemaker shines in his first Canadian vintage

Fort Berens Winemaker Alex Nel

Founded in 2009 by Dutch immigrants Heleen Pannekoek and Rolf de Bruin, Fort Berens Estate Winery in Lillooet has become one of British Columbia’s most successful wineries. How successful? It was one of more than 250 wineries competing in the 2022 WineAlign National Wine Awards. Fort Berens was judged #3 among Canada’s top 10 small wineries, bringing home one platinum medal, three gold medals and two silver medals. Several of those wines are among the six reviewed here. I scored them all in gold medal territory.

Naturally, the winery owners are beside themselves were pride in what they are accomplishing. In a statement, Rolf said: “This achievement is a result of the hard work, dedication, determination, and passion of an incredible team of winemakers and grape growers. We are so proud of our team.” Rolf continued: “This award is a great encouragement for our winemaking and viticultural team. Alessandro (Alex) Nel joined the Fort Berens team as winemaker and viticulturist in January 2021. He worked on our 2021 vintage from the start of pruning to the last press load of grapes on November 10th.” The winery calls Nel “an accomplished and award-winning winemaker.” He has a degree in Viticulture and Oenology at Elsenburg University. He spent 10 years as winemaker at Cederberg Winery in the Western Cape of South Africa where he produced one of the Top 50 wines in the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards. Alex has also worked at wineries in California, France, and New Zealand before joining Fort Berens.

The winery statement quotes Alex on his winemaking approach. “When I joined Fort Berens, we tasted through a lot of prior vintages with several standout wines. The wines expressed bright fruit and fresh acidity that naturally develops in this unique area, with big diurnal temperature differences. Being isolated from other vineyards, we have a virus free and minimal disease area, leading to exceptional quality grapes, which is where great wine starts. I believe in each variety being treated with respect to show its true Lillooet terroir. White wines are made with no oxygen exposure and extended lees contact for added mouthfeel, resulting in wines that are aromatic and fresh. Further refining of the extraction process on reds with increased skin maceration and barrel maturation adds finesse and elegance.”

Lillooet is a new and emerging wine region in BC’s growing wine industry. Fort Berens was the first winery in Lillooet and now has close to 40 planted acres of vineyards. Rolf added: “In 2009, when we first pioneered this new wine region and planted our first vines in the ground in Lillooet, we set out with a goal of making world-class wines. After just a few years, our 100% estate grown Fort Berens Riesling 2012 was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in BC Wines. It was a sign of encouragement, and we continued to work incredibly hard to prove that grapes and wine from Lillooet could find a spot in the world of wine. Over the years, we explored uncharted territory and amazed ourselves and others with the capacity and growth of this emerging wine region. This incredible recognition further validates the potential of Lillooet as a grape growing and winemaking region.”

The six wines reviewed here are Alex’s first wines made in Canada. They represent an impressive debut.

Fort Berens Riesling 2021 ($21.99 for 1,735 cases). Fruit for this wine comes from The Rise Vineyard in Vernon and the estate vineyard in Lillooet. The winemaker elected to give 12 hours of skin contact after crushing the grapes, followed by a light pressing and a long, cold ferment in stainless steel. The wine begins with citrus aromas leading to flavours of apple and lemon. Residual sugar is artfully balanced with bright acidity. There is a long, fruity finish. 90.

Fort Berens Pinot Gris 2021 ($21.99 for 1,313 cases). Silver at WineAlign. Half the grapes for this wine were given six hours of skin contact before pressing; the other half were pressed immediately. The objective was to combine fresh fruit flavours with structure and aromatics. The effort was hugely successful. This is a delicious wine with aromas and flavours of citrus and pear and a touch of anise on the crisp finish. 91.

Fort Berens Chardonnay 2021 ($22.99 for 840 cases). This is a crisp, fruit-forward Chardonnay. It was fermented and aged 70% in stainless steel; the remaining 30% was fermented naturally in neutral French oak barrels, aging for six months in barrel before blending with the larger portion. The wine has aromas of apple and pear leading to flavours of apple, citrus and stone fruit. 90.

Fort Berens Small Lot Dry Riesling 2021 ($24.99 for 453 cases). The intensity of the aromas and flavours of this wine reflect both mature vines in the estate vineyard and a very long and cold fermentation. The wine begins with aromas of lemon and lemon zest. On the palate, there are flavours of citrus and apple mingled with minerality. 92.

Fort Berens Small Lot Grüner Veltliner 2021 ($24.99 for 208 cases). Gold at WineAlign. Estate fruit was used for this wine. It had nine hours of skin contact before a light pressing and then a cold ferment with an aromatic yeast strain. The wine begins with aromas of honeydew melon, stone fruits and herbs. There are gobs of fruit on the palate – pear, apple and apricot. The texture is lush. 92.

Fort Berens Rosé 2021 ($21.99 for 1,381 cases). This wine is made with Lillooet fruit. The blend is 79% Pinot Noir, 13% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. The winemaker allowed 12 hours of skin contact, extracting an appealing rose petal hue. The wine has aromas and flavours of strawberry and raspberry. The finish is refreshing. A delicious rosé. 91.