1986 Bartlett Blueberry Winemaker’s Reserve - USA, Maine (9/16/2024)
It was such a privilege to be invited to join Bob & Kathe Bartlett as they opened the last magnum of their 1986 Blueberry Winemaker’s Reserve. At close to 40 years of life the wine is mature, yet still has the structure to last another decade or more in the Magnum format. The tannins have resolved and the wine is seamless…yet the palate still has a lovely core of acidity & fruit that is just hinting at tertiary notes of blackberries, earth, leather, and yes…Maine blueberries (a smaller more intensely flavored berry than high-bush blueberries). The nose is captivating with notes of clove, dried lavender, blueberry & spice. If I had to choose only one wine to blind EVERY wine geek on…this would be it. There are some wine experiences that words seem to not be able to fully capture…this is one of those wines. Having heard about this wine from the people that helped to establish the foundation of my understanding of what fine wine is, they consistently referenced this wine as one of the greatest wines they had ever tasted…I am in complete agreement.
Awesome Kirk! Because of your glowing reviews i snagged some 2010 years back and really liked it! Beautiful and complex blue fruits (would be weird if there wasn’t, ha!), and a distinct smokey/oily note that i loved. Unique and tasty stuff - hanging onto my last two bottles for a while 
Based on this…and the cases of the 2010 that I have opened over the last 5+ years…you’ll be rewarded by your patience.
So nice!
To me, this is the call for people that are drinking wine because they love wine…because what’s in the glass is complex, exotic, intriguing, singular, and goes well with the food on the table. At 11.5% it’s easy to enjoy two glasses without feeling it the next day. My hope in sharing this is that people will take a chance on the blueberry wines that @Jim_Anderson is making in Oregon. I think the Wolves Above/Kelly Fox collaboration to make an Oregon blueberry wine is exciting and I can’t wait to try the second release. I’m excited to see what those wines will be like when they hit the 10 - 20 year mark.
Blueberry wine is dead at retail.
I have looked a few times over the years and none of this makes it into retail. It doesn’t appear to be for sale (at least in an e commerce way) on their website either. Do you have to be on the list?
Like Chris- I want to know how to get some!
Bartlett retired. I believe Kirk said his last vintage was 18 or 19.
New sheriff in Blueberry Town.
@Chris_Seiber Bob Bartlett has retired like @Jim_Anderson said. The last place that has any bottles of Bob’s wine is Sawyer’s Specialties in SW Harbor, Maine (I think they’re sold out of the 2017 Reserve…so only the Oak Dry is available $29.99). In the past you would have had to contact the winery…if you call the phone number on their website & mention me…they might have a few bottles of the 2017 Reserve still around. I’m not sure and they may not have any left to sell.
Having said all that, I think the wine that Jim & Kelly are making in Oregon is the BEST option to have an experience with fruit wine that (may change your mind). I’d suggest buying 3 bottles, drink one now, one in 10 & the last one in 20 years. Based on how slow Bob’s wines age…I’m hopeful that Wolves Above is a worthy alternative to something that is (largely) now only a piece of American wine history.