Okanagan Crush Pad has two wines, red and white, called Narrative. Michael Bartier and Matt Dumayne, crafted the wines, and yes, they purposefully have a story to tell. Cool climate, wines full of aromatics, full of life. The nice wrinkle in the story is the somewhat idiosyncratic grape varieties Bartier and Dumayne have managed to blend together into two delightful wholes.
The 2013 Narrative white is chardonnay, gewürztraminer, and pinot blanc. Spicy and floral notes are balanced by juicy tropical fruits. The wine feels lush, luscious, with a fabulous finish, $17. The 2013 Narrative red is syrah from the Black Sage Bench and gamay noir from Secrest Mountain. Raspberry fruit with distinct notes of sage and chocolate run through a nicely textured palate, bursting with bright red fruit and the fine tannins give it all great balance, $18. These wines are indicators of even more exciting things to come from the Okanagan as it matures. We really like the graffiti-style artwork on the labels, too, by Vancouver visual artist Scott Sueme, whose mural work graces an exterior wall at the winery.
