What BC wine would you have with a sechetti (parachute) pasta stuffed with ground chicken and bacon, served in a creamy rosé sauce? One option is a Rose wine, but another valid option would be a Chardonnay. Today I had this pasta dish with a glass of Lillooet’s Fort Berens Estate Winery Chardonnay 2025. Fort Beren’s wines are now certified sustainable and are vegan-friendly. How was the wine and how was the pairing? Read on.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Fort Berens Estate Winery Chardonnay 2025 (BC $25.99)
Winemaker’s notes, “30% of the grapes were whole-cluster pressed and naturally fermented in French oak barrels and aged for an additional 4 months adding richness to the mouthfeel. 70% of the grapes were destemmed and crushed with cold fermentation in a stainless steel tank that gives vibrancy to the wine. 4% New French oak was used that adds a subtle toasty character to the wine.”
Appearance: A clear, bright, medium-plus intensity lemon colour in the glass.
Nose: Medium intensity aromas, showing toast, ripe pineapple, butterscotch, and pears. No change to the aromas after decanting.
Palate: This wine is dry, medium-bodied, with a round mouthfeel. It has higher acidity, which leaves a medium acidic prickle on your tongue. Mainly pineapple flavour, with lesser amounts of crisp apple, pears, toast, butterscotch, and some pepperiness. Lighter intensity of flavours and leaner mouthfeel after decanting.
Finish: Medium-plus to long length with a lingering pineapple flavour, and touches of pepperiness and butterscotch. Medium-plus length, with lighter fruit flavours and more pepperiness after decanting.
A quality lightly oaked Chardonnay. Fuller mouthfeel before decanting, which some may prefer. Fruit flavours are also stronger before decanting. I give the edge to the undecanted version of this wine.
Rating: 
– 
The Fort Berens Estate Winery Chardonnay 2025 shows a bright medium-plus lemon colour with inviting aromas of toast, ripe pineapple, butterscotch, and pear. The palate is dry and medium-bodied with a round texture and lively acidity, led by ripe pineapple along with notes of crisp apple, pear, toast, butterscotch, and a touch of pepperiness. It finishes medium-plus to long with lingering pineapple, butterscotch, and pepperiness, becoming lighter fruit flavoured more peppery with air.
The Pairing
The sechetti pasta was cooked al dente and was softly chewy. The rosé sauce added some sweetness and creaminess to the dish. The wine offered bright acidity to pair with the dish and the dish brought out the fruitiness in the wine. The wine was a little strong for this dish, but still a nice pairing.
Where Can I Buy This Wine?
You can purchase this wine online from the Fort Berens Estate Winery website. It is also available at BC Liquor stores and at the Everything Wine store in North Vancouver.
