Two weeks ago, in Vancouver, Haywire and Bartier/Scholefield went head to head with their Rosés. It was a good publicity event as Michael Bartier and David Scholefield have been winemaking partners at the Okanagan Crush Pad for some time and produce wines under a variety of labels.
Upon my arrival, Leann Froese, of Town Hall Brands, who handles communications for the winery, was there to greet everyone and then David’s daughter, Alison, poured us a glass of The Bub, Haywire’s sparkling wine; a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This wine is bottle fermented in the traditional manner. It was very pale straw in colour and tinged with grey. The nose showed delicate aromas of bread dough, toasty yeast and tree fruit. It was clean, crisp and well balanced with good mousse. The flavours echoed the nose with hints of citrus. Pleasing flavours lingered on the medium-long finish. This silver medal bubbly would be excellent with popcorn or salt and pepper potato chips.
I also sampled Haywire’s Wild Ferment Pinot Gris from Switchback vineyard. This wine spent time not in stainless steel or oak barrels, but in a concrete egg, which gives the wine a creamy mouth feel due to its extended lees contact. This wine had classic varietal quality. It was pale straw in colour with a hint of green and medium-light intensity. The nose showed aromas of juicy stone fruit and ripe mango. It was well balanced with intense fruit on the palate and a medium-long finish. Delicious.
Before the main event, I was lucky to also taste their 2011 Canyonview Vineyard Pinot Noir. These grapes come from Summerland. The wine spent time in French oak barrels before being moved into the winery’s concrete eggs. The wine was cherry red in colour with medium intensity. It had cherry, earth and forest floor aromas on the nose. It was well balanced. The flavours followed the nose with the fruit dominating. There was a hint of dry chocolate on the medium-long finish. This was a Burgundian style wine, which is very good now and will continue to improve for another three to five years. Serve with Brie, Camembert, charcuterie, game or beef bourguignon.
Then it was time for the highlight, The Rosé Smack Down. Michael Bartier (wearing red boxing gloves) and David Scholefield took centre stage, each defending their own choice of best Rosé. David Scholefield waxed poetically about the qualities of B&S Rosé, saying, “It is a fun wine to drink that we take very seriously. It is crisp, fresh and good with food or just enjoyed in the fresh air.” Then Michael Bartier espoused the merits of the Haywire Rosé calling it, “Bright, fresh, and pristine and speaks to me of the Okanagan. I believe in place, not grape and I think this wine reflects the area very well.”
Everyone in attendance had tasted the two wines by this time and they were clearly different, with one being a little more delicate than the other. What I found to be interesting was that the two wines had so much in common. They both came from the Seacrest vineyard, north of Oliver, which was planted near McIntyre Bluff in 1997. The grapes came from the same block in the vineyard, but from different sections, which have different sub soils. This accounted for the different flavour profiles. These are both great choices for summer sippers.
And who was the winner of the Smack Down? I had a hard time deciding which was my favourite. It was like two sides of the same coin. From the reaction of the audience, it was a split decision. I recommend you pick up a bottle of each, invite some friends over and do your own Rosé challenge.
