Fort Berens Reserve Riesling 2023

91POINTS

16^¾/20

Lillooet, British Columbia, CanadaFrom their Lillooet estate Red Rock vineyard, planted in 2009, this Reserve Riesling was 60% whole cluster, with the remainder crushed and left on skins for 12 hours. Post racking, the wine underwent a long, cool native ferment in neutral oak barrels, followed by 7 months more in mostly neutral barrels prior to bottling. The wood lends an expansiveness to this just off-dry wine, spicing the ripe pear, gooseberry, white florals, and jasmine / gingersnap spicing the palate. Quite smart, drinking now, and with time ahead.Tasted: 07 April 2026Tasted by: Prices:

$29.99

750ml

winery online/direct, select private retailers, grocery

Producer: Fort Berens Estate WineryDistributors: Renaissance Wine Merchants Ltd.
Grape: RieslingCSPC: 236834UPC: 626990248958

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91POINTS

16^¾/20

Fort Berens Reserve Riesling 2023

Lillooet, British Columbia, CanadaThe Reserve Riesling is more tightly structured, with sharp acidity that highlights its tropical notes, while quince adds bitterness to the blend, enhancing a mineral undertone. It is a complex wine that the Germans might call gastronomic because of its high acidity. The texture feels slightly creamy, which helps balance the overall profile. It is estate grown, with fruit from Dry Creek Vineyard, planted in 2009, and Red Rock Vineyard, planted in 2019. The ideal pairing would be a sesame ginger stir fry or pork with garlic and lemon. Forty percent of the grapes were destemmed and crushed with 12 hours of skin contact, while the remaining sixty percent were whole cluster pressed for extra mouthfeel. A long, slow, natural fermentation took place in a mix of 225L and 400L French oak barrels, and the wine aged for an additional seven months in second fill French oak barrels, with the rest maturing in neutral oak.Tasted: 26 March 2026Tasted by: Prices:

$29.99

750ml

winery online/direct, select private retailers, grocery

Producer: Fort Berens Estate WineryDistributors: Renaissance Wine Merchants Ltd.
Grape: RieslingCSPC: 236834UPC: 626990248958

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91POINTS

16^¾/20

Fort Berens Reserve Riesling 2023

Lillooet, British Columbia, CanadaHoneycomb, green apple, and lime are complemented by a chalky, talcum-like mineral character. There's a nice honey quality but still steely and limey. Good precision overall, with a linear texture and really nice concentration, this has good dry extract, and is really well balanced, leaving it dry but not austere. The complexities keep getting better in the glass. Fantastic.Tasted: 26 March 2026Tasted by: Prices:

$29.99

750ml

winery online/direct, select private retailers, grocery

Producer: Fort Berens Estate WineryDistributors: Renaissance Wine Merchants Ltd.
Grape: RieslingCSPC: 236834UPC: 626990248958

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