This pale pumpkin-hued rose (made as an orange wine) spent 4 months on lees in stainless steel tank. Made from Gewurztraminer (grown on Granitic soils on the Black Sage Terrace) and Pinot Gris (from mostly sandy/loam soils in Summerland), I can assure you it will not resemble either of those varieties, if you are familiar with them or not.
In relatively small quantities, more winemakers are experimenting with these polarizing orange, or natural wines. In part out of curiosity, and to ensure they aren’t missing out on potential consumers.
Michael Bartier explains, "This was my first kick at a Bartier Bros. wine in this style. We were looking to achieve a wine that was refreshing and tannic. In my old age now, I chill my reds quite cold and really like them this way. This wine seemed a natural to fit that preference."
He continues,“I chose varietals I was familiar with, Gewurztraminer [for] aromatics with Pinot Gris [for] mouthfeel. The process was to harvest at white wine ripeness, macerate like a red would be (spontaneous ferment--3 weeks with twice daily punch downs), press, and the remainder of the process had the wine being treated like a white to maintain freshness. There was no malolactic fermentation, the wine was stored in stainless steel, and filtered. I’m happy with the result--light, lively, soft tannins, rainwater fresh, with intense aromatics."
Bartier plans to play around with different varietal ratios going forward.
On tasting, the wine has aromas of summer berries, hops and lemons, forest floor and wild mushrooms with notable Orange Pekoe tea undertones. It is bone-dry and tangy with herbal tones and a clean finish with fine tannins.
Cheese - Semi Hard / Medium , Seafood/Fish, Green Wines
©copyright 2012 Daenna Van Mulligen
Wine Scores reviewed - 2018-04-30 13:15:22.0
