Bart Fawbush started his journey in 2007 with 600 cases of wine. He has steadily grown his offerings to 2,500 cases annually out of a tasting room in the Old Rainier Brewery building in Seattle. “Initially, we thought we had a calling to produce Bordeaux style varieties,” he says. “When the Carménère continued to be our best seller, we expanded our unique varieties and voilà, it has worked tremendously for us.”
Seeking new growth opportunities, Bart discovered the Port of Kennewick was planning to construct the Columbia Gardens Wine Village and immediately signed on. He moved his family and wine production to Eastern Washington in late 2017. “We were looking for a chance to get closer to the grapes and change the pace of our life. This move accomplished both,” he says.
When the new Kennewick facility opened, Bart opened a public tasting room onsite, whilst also keeping his Seattle tasting room operating. The red wines are succulent, polished and fruity, delivering well-balanced appeal. You can taste them at the Seattle tasting room or the brand new facility, which is located at 421 E Columbia Dr, Bldg B, Kennewick; www.bartholomewwinery.com
Here are 3 wines we recently reviewed:
Bartholomew Winery 2014 Red Mountain Carménère, $35
Editor’s Choice – Outstanding (91-95 pts.)
Smooth, focused and seamless, displaying a pure beam of generous red fruit shimmering with spice-laden accents of black peppercorn and distant echoes of jalapeno and violet.
Bartholomew Winery 2015 Cuvée Rouge BDX, $32
Editor’s Choice – Outstanding (91-95 pts.)
Composed of all six Bordeaux varietal grapes, this aromatic red wine is lush and polished, coating the palate generously. There’s a jammy edge to the rich, dark red and black fruit flavors lined with supportive hints of smoke, tobacco and leather that combine neatly on the finish.
Bartholomew Winery 2014 Coyote Canyon Vineyard Primitivo, $26
Editor’s Choice – Excellent (86-90 pts.)
A medley of rich raspberry, cherry and blackberry fruit mingles with notes of briar, sage and graphite on this ripe, approachable red. Finishes smooth, with a light tannic grip.