Wine Access, a publication that discusses wines that are available in the Canadian market, recently published a list of the winners from the Canadian Wine Awards. Below, I share with you the winning wines from BC.
The Best Canadian Red Wines of 2012
The BC Choices:
BC managed to snag four out of the five awards in this category and all of them where Syrah based wines. As a suggestion, if you can find one of all the wines mentioned below, do a taste off with your friends and family. Most of the grapes for these wines were sourced in the same area, but what is interesting here is that you can experience the creativity and artistic style of each wine maker.
Quinta Ferreira 2009 Syrah – Okanagan Valley (Black Sage Road) - Intense black peppercorn with aromas of violets, blackberry fruit, raspberry jam, and black cherry, make this Syrah stand out from the rest. This well balanced Syrah is enjoyable to drink now and will only get better with some age. The spicy and toasty notes of chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and hazelnut compliment this wine. The soft well rounded tannins allow this wine to flow through its lengthy finish. Enjoy now and over the next four years with grilled meats. Only 465 cases were produced and it retails in BC for $30 a bottle.
Laughing Stock 2010 Syrah – Penticton (Naramata Rd.) - This wine has expressive black peppercorn, fragrant violet, and pencil shavings on the nose. Juicy and textured red and black cherry and cassis notes surround structured tannins on the full-bodied palate. Savory white pepper echoes on the lengthy finish. Limit of six bottles per customer and it retails in BC for $34 a bottle.
Church & State Wines 2010 Coyote Bowl Series Syrah – Black Sage, Oliver, and Brentwood Bay winery - Addictive aromas of black pepper, cassis, crushed violet, and cured meats are found on the nose of this Syrah. The structured palate is full, with dried cherry and sweet cassis, charcuterie, hints of medicinal cherry cola and violet notes. Move quickly as the 2009 vintage sold out quickly. This wine retails in BC for $35 a bottle.
Painted Rock 2009 Estate Grown Syrah – Penticton (Smythe Drive) - A rich purple colour in the glass to stewed blackberries, blueberries, black cherries, and plums on both the nose and the palate. Cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, mace, and fresh-cracked-peppercorn dust the dark berry fruit perfectly, all held together with well-integrated oak. Might be difficult to buy, but if you can get your hands on one, it would retail in BC for $36 a bottle.
The Best Canadian White Wines of 2012
The BC Choices:
Quails’ Gate 2010 Chardonnay Stewart Family Reserve – West Kelowna - This Reserve Chardonnay combines citrus and stone fruits with delicate sprinklings of ginger and cinnamon. There is a toasty, biscuity character that is cleverly implanted by the French oak barrel fermentation creating a harmony of ripe fruit, toasty oak, and youthful mouthwatering acidity. This wine retails in BC for $35 a bottle.
Meyer Family Vineyards 2010 Tribute Series Sonia Gaudet Chardonnay Old Main Road Vineyard - Okanagan-Similkameen – The nose of this wine is so powerful with aromas of ripe red apple, fresh bread, and touch marzipan. This wine has some nice ripe yellow fruits on the palate with buttery baked apple, clove, and lemon notes. There were only 640 cases made and it retails in BC for $35 a bottle.
