Results of the 2024 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (The Nationals)
Red Blends
Category Overview by Judge Geoffrey Moss MW
(Jump straight to the medal winners.)
Red blends are ubiquitous across British Columbia and Ontario, translating to the second largest category at the National Wine Awards with 10.4% of entries. It’s one of the most challenging categories to judge. There’s a breadth of styles and grape varieties, and many of these wines won’t reach their peak for years. Judges work through tannin and acid to figure out which wines are exceptional now – or will be in five years’ time.
I would argue it’s one of the most rewarding to judge as a result. Especially this year, which felt like a tipping point. There was a step up in quality, which is reflected in the number of platinum medals awarded. Four red blends earned a platinum medal, representing 21% of all platinums awarded, up from just one last year. It also overperformed relative to other categories, capturing 11.2% of all medals.
Even more exciting was the diversity on display flight after flight. Bordeaux blends and Rhone blends continue to be an important part of the story. Look no further than the Hester Creek 2022 GSM. But winemakers are increasingly evolving beyond the traditional French archetypes. Burrowing Owl has done this for years with Athene, a Syrah-Cabernet Sauvignon blend that follows in Australian footsteps.
Then, there’s the next frontier. Wines like Nostalgia 2020 Malbec Petit Verdot and Black Hills’ 2022 Bona Fide, a blend of 42% Malbec, 33% Carmenere, and 25% Syrah, are part of a new wave of Okanagan red blends that do not easily fall into existing paradigms. The results show they are on a worthwhile path.
Black Hills 2022 Bona Fide, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Burrowing Owl 2021 Athene, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Hester Creek 2022 GSM, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Nostalgia Wines 2020 Malbec Petit Verdot, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Black Hills 2022 Ipso Facto, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Black Hills 2022 Addendum, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Colio Estate Wines 2020 Small Lot Series Meritage, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Corcelettes 2020 Talus, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Foolish Wine 2020 Hooligan Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Henry of Pelham 2020 Speck Family Reserve Cabernet-Merlot, Short Hills Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Hidden Bench 2020 La Brunante Unfiltered, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Kismet 2020 Moksha, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Magnotta Pzazz N/V Merlot Cab Limited Edition, Ontario
Mt. Boucherie 2020 Summit, British Columbia
Nk’Mip Cellars 2021 Winemakers Talon
Nostalgia Wines 2020 Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Nostalgia Wines 2022 Rockabilly Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Organized Crime 2020 Pipe Down, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Peller Estates 2021 Signature Series Estate Red, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Pentâge Winery 2018 GSM Dirty Dozen Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Road 13 2022 Honest John’s Bold Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Stag’s Hollow 2020 Renaissance Meritage Stag’s Hollow Vineyard, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Stratus 2020 White Label Red, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Tawse 2021 Meritage, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Three Sisters Winery 2022 Bench Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Two Sisters Vineyards 2020 Eleventh Post, Niagara River, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Wayne Gretzky 2022 Signature Series Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
13th Street Winery 2022 Expression Series Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
13th Street Winery N/V Burger Blend Gamay Pinot Noir, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
180 Estate Winery 2020 Meritage Reserve Mia Cara Vineyard, Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Bordertown 2020 Living Desert Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Chateau des Charmes 2020 Equuleus Paul Bosc Estate, St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Clos du Soleil 2020 Estate Reserve, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Clos du Soleil 2021 Celestiale, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Clos du Soleil 2022 Celestiale, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Corcelettes 2021 Talus, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Fairview Cellars 2020 The Bear Premier Series, Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Fielding 2020 Chosen FEW, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Fielding 2022 Red Conception, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Fort Berens 2020 Red Gold Reserve, Lillooet, British Columbia
Henry of Pelham 2020 Estate Cabernet-Merlot, Short Hills Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Hidden Bench 2020 Terroir Caché Unfiltered, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Hillside Winery 2017 Mosaic, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
JoiRyde Winery 2022 The Chancellor, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Kismet 2021 Karma, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Liquidity Wines 2021 Estate Dividend, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Magnotta 2021 Unbridled Double Cab Equus Series, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Malivoire 2022 Demo Series Analog, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Mayhem 2022 Cabernet Merlot, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Moon Curser 2022 Dead of Night, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Mt. Boucherie 2020 Contessa, British Columbia
Mt. Boucherie 2022 Original Vines PTG, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Muscedere Vineyards 2021 Meritage, Lake Erie North Shore, Ontario
Painted Rock Estate Winery 2021 Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown, Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Phantom Creek 2020 Phantom Creek Vineyard Cuvée #29, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Redstone Winery 2020 Meritage, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Road 13 2021 Select Harvest GSM, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Roche Wines 2020 Château, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Rust Wine Co. 2020 Solus, Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
See Ya Later Ranch 2021 Ping Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Tawse 2020 Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
The Foreign Affair 2020 Conspiracy, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Tinhorn Creek 2021 The Creek, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Township 7 2020 NBO, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Van Westen 2021 V, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Van Westen 2021 Voluptuous, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Vieni Estates 2020 Red Trillium Ripasso, Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Vieni Estates N/V Founder’s Blend Reserve, Ontario
Wesbert Winery 2021 Wesbert Blend, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Adamo 2021 Bistro, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Bartier Bros. 2021 The Goal, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Black Bank Hill 2021 Égalité, Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Creekside 2020 Meritage Reserve, Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Deep Roots 2021 Parentage Red, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Dirty Laundry 2020 Hush Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Fielding 2022 Rock Pile Red, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Fort Berens 2020 Meritage Reserve, Lillooet, British Columbia
Frind 2022 Big Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
High Note Estate Winery 2021 Cadenza, British Columbia
Konzelmann 2022 Cabernet Merlot Reserve, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Lake Breeze 2020 Meritage, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
LaStella 2022 Fortissimo, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Laughing Stock 2021 Portfolio, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Magnotta 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Venture Series, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Magnotta 2021 Legacy Limited Edition Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Marynissen Estates 2020 Meritage, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Monte Creek 2021 Living Land Cabernet Merlot, British Columbia
Mt. Boucherie 2019 Original Vines Cabernet Franc Merlot Lost Horn Vineyard, British Columbia
Mt. Boucherie 2020 The Boss, British Columbia
Nk’Mip Cellars 2020 Mer’r’iym Red Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Nostalgia Wines 2022 The Girls Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Organized Crime 2020 Sacred Series The Download Unfiltered, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Peller Estates 2020 Private Reserve Meritage, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Privy 2023 Afterglow Red, British Columbia
Quails’ Gate 2020 Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Ravine Vineyard 2021 Meritage, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Redstone Winery 2021 Bistro Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
River Stone 2020 Corner Stone, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
River Stone 2021 Merlot Syrah, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Road 13 2021 John Oliver Selection 5th Element, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Stone Eagle 2019 Proprietary Red, Niagara River, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Stratus 2020 Red, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Stratus 2021 PVMT Field Blend, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Tawse 2021 Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Ve Oh Lay Acres 2023 Maddison Violet 1064
Volcanic Hills 2020 Magma Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
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