The Bartier Bros. are Michael and Don Bartier who grew up in the Okanagan but moved away to pursue their education, Different directions chosen when they were young still had a common path and have winded them back along the same goal.

Don is the accountant, having moved to Calgary in his younger years to attain his designation and of course working in the oil and gas industry has a wealth of experience and many achievements to be proud of, as well as an appreciation for wine.

Michael is proficient in wine making, having amassed both on the job training and experience along with distance education from UC Davis and Washington State University. That and a few Lieutenant Governor’s Awards along with a couple of Canadian White Wine of the Year has made his consulting business solid and sought after.

Only 2 weeks open, I have had a chance to visit their winery located on the Cerquiera Vineyard in the lower Black Sage bench in person. Their first vineyard resides in Summerland, the Lone Pine Vineyard planted and kept by Don’s wife and family and their 2 Siberian Huskies.

I had first the opportunity to visit the vineyard a couple of years ago when I relocated back to the Okanagan from Vancouver. I was lucky enough to witness the pure drive in Michael to have a “sense of place“. It was the middle of winter, and listening to him talk about the cobble stones in this vineyard site and what they did to the wines and to revisit the terroir and actual site a few years later is truly amazing.

Michael showing the cobblestones in the vineyard deposited by glaciers many years ago in the South Okanagan (Feb 2013)

Calcium Carbonate on the bottom of the cobblestones today

Located on the lower Black Sage Bench, the Cerqueira Vineyard is almost near the bottom of the valley, there are many limestone-rich deposits, and with such rocky vineyard soil, the vines have to work hard. So much so that with a little digging, the Bartier Bros. were able to see that the vines had latched onto the cobblestones in search of nutrients, finding small fissures of moisture and minerals to feed off of.

This became their “sense of place“, their signature of their Okanagan Valley wines.

Wines tasted:

Lone Pine Gewurztraminer 2013 – 6 year old vines located in Summerland. Dry, and crisp, this wine shows great minerality and viscosity, very refreshing 8.8/10

Semillon 2013 – Concrete egg and stainless steel ferment; 80/20 with an extended time on lees. The result was a unique Semillon with both a balance of bracing acidity and a softening creaminess on the palate with hints of citrus, wiffs of licorice and sage. 8.9/10

Obrigado 2014 – Obrigado translates to “Thank you” in Portuguese, this wine is an un- oaked Chardonnay, expressing some of the best of the Cequeira vineyard site. It’s extremely fresh and crisp with an incredible mouth-feel, I loved it immediately and stocked up! 9.0/10

Barrel-fermented Chardonnay 2013 – Half of this wine was fermented in barrel and half in stainless steel, a balance in synergy with hints of nuttiness, savoury citrus tones and hints of anise. 8.9/10

Syrah 2012 – What a treat! This youthful Syrah was bursting with juicy soft fruit tannins, white pepper tones and hints of minerality. 9.1/10

Cabernet Franc 2013 – 8 yr old vines, the first time this wine has been bottled alone and not blended. Grippy and juicy jammy tannins, hints of cedar and plum with a subtle capsicum. Well structured with a long finish. Stocked up, Yum! 9.1/10

Merlot 2012 – Plummy and cherry tones of balanced acidity with a multi layered level of cocoa nibbs, red licorice and rich fruit with a long lingering finish. Excellent. 9.0/10

The Goal 2012 – Their top wine, and a wine named for a piece of history, the Penticton Vees claimed Gold the World Hockey Championship in 1955. This bold wine is a blend of 67% Merlot and 33% Cabernet Franc. The Cabernet France gives it an elegant ageing potential of up to 10 years. It has hints of ripe blackberries, raspberries, with a rounded and firm presence of tannins, with multi-layers of complexity.

 Merlot just pickedSmall Basket press in their vineyard.