Deborah Podurgiel WSET IV Candidate - Certified Sommelier rated this wine as 93/100 with the following review:

This is a beauty Meritage (2021) from Fort Berens and so far, their best one yet! While still quite youthful (it is only going to get better), the wine is fragrant with dark berry, plum, chocolate and spicy aromas. On the palate, it is super-rich, medium-plus-bodied, meaty and concentrated with dark plum, cassis, pepper, clove spice, dark chocolate and a long spicy finish. Acidity is fresh and medium-plus, while tannins are pleasantly grippy.

Produced from hand-harvested, estate grown grapes, this Meritage is a blend of 64% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Cabernet Franc. Grapes were destemmed, crushed, and cold soaked for four days prior to inoculation with select Bordeaux yeasts. Pumpovers were every four hours which did enhance the wine's colour and fruitiness and “each varietal was vinified and barrel matured separately for 15 months in French oak barrels." Winemaker, Alessandro (Alex) Nel selected the barrels and carefully crafted the final blend. Tasted November 2023 and paired with bison burgers from the grill. Delish now and will continue to evolve in bottle to 2026 or better. Drink to 2028.

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Fort Berens Estate Winery Meritage 2021 Wine Review

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