Bartier Scholefield‘s slogan is “Wine is Narrative“, which I agree it is, at least maybe for boutique wineries, sourcing grapes from a small region. In my previous article, BC Has a Wine Story, I talked about the story that wine tells through the terroir that the vines were planted and the grapes ripened. Bartier Scholefield’s story comes from the Summerland and Oliver areas in the Okanagan. They produce a Red Blend, a White Blend, and a Rose. I recently received a bottle of their latest release of their Red Blend and their White Blend. Both are VQA wines. Let’s find out more.
Bartier Scholefield White Table Wine 2010
The Bartier Scholefield White Table Wine 2010 is a blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. I believe the grapes come from the Secrest Mountain Vineyards in Oliver, BC. The wine underwent minimal human intervention, letting the grapes tell their story. Fermentation was followed with short lees contact, followed by blending and bottling. I am not sure of the percentages of each of the grapes, but from the flavour profile, I guess that the order of the grapes listed above represents the largest to smallest amounts of the different grape varieties.
The wine was a medium lemony gold colour in the glass. Medium intensity aromas of citrus, tropical and dried fruits, pear, lemon, a whiff of lime, and a bit of lees. Quite a complex nose. Dry, medium body with medium acidity right upfront. Flavours of citrus, tropical fruit, dried fruit and pear, with hints of apricot, flowers and lees. Bitter peach pit with a steely finish. Medium length. A well made wine, in a screw cap, so buy and enjoy on it’s own or with food. Maybe pair with a seafood chowder, mussels mariniere, or stir fried cashew chicken. (I did review this wine 1.5 years ago. Read my notes here to see how the wine has changed.)
Bartier Scholefield Red Table Wine 2008
The Red Table Wine is a red Bordeaux blend of primarily Merlot, with lesser amounts of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Again, following minimal intervention, punchdowns were used during the fermentation process followed by two years of neutral barrel aging.
The wine was a translucent medium ruby colour from rim to core. Light plus developing aromas, with red fruit, plums, sweet spices, and vanilla, with hints of perfume, cedar and chocolate. I did try this wine over two days. I noted on the second day that there was also some tomato and some vegetal component to the nose. Dry with a lighter mouthfeel. It doesn’t coat your mouth, but it is soft with fine tannins. Primary flavours of red and purple fruit, specifically blueberries popped for me, with secondary flavours of cedar, sweet spices, black currant leaf, vanilla/oak, and a hint of perfume (which I think is from the Petit Verdot). Medium-plus length. The finish was fairly astringent with bitter blackcurrant leaf and sour cherries. Not a bad wine, but not one to sip on its own. I think it would be best enjoyed with a fatty meat, such as duck breast to take off that astringent edge.
Where Can You Buy These Wines?
You can buy these wines online through Okanagan Crush Pad Winery where they vinify their wines or Everything Wine. You can also visit one of the Everything Wine wine shops across the Vancouver lower mainland. Enjoy!
