Results of the 2024 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (The Nationals)
Pinot Noir
Category Overview by Judge Michael Godel
(Jump straight to the medal winners.)
No other grape causes more of a stir, is responsible for more hair to fall and breaks more hearts. Does not play well with others, refuses to share, to be blended, to give anything less than 100 per cent. For many, there is no other grape variety. How often does a conversation begin with “what is your favourite wine” and end invidiously with “Burgundy?” While Bourgogne certainly persists as the historic locale possessive of the title “when it’s great, it’s the best,” pinot noir has found immense global success and Canadian soils are largely responsible for that.
Thoughts with doubts about pinot noir’s viability in Canadian vineyards have long been laid to rest with proof arranged and clarified after yet another edition of the WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada. The judging week saw the fourth most number of flights, all intriguing and arguably the finest collective showing of bottles poured from the fickle grape. From lithe, transparent, high-toned, red berry charmers to darker, brooding, seriously ripe and often tannic iterations. As it has been said, “beauties and beasts, belles et bêtes,” pinot noir the good can succeed one way or another, with harmony and in balance.
Let’s look at the numbers. The proof is, as they say, in the pudding. Why do they say in the pudding? Is it a dessert metaphor? No matter because facts provide evidence and evidence begets validation. The proof for perpetuating the planting, growth and certification of not only a preference for the variety, but also its necessity lies in the analyses of where it stands by comparisons. At the NWACs 2024 pinot noir accounted for 8.7 percent of all entries. Only sparkling wines (9.0), red blends (10.4) and chardonnay (10.8) were higher in record. Here are the individual medal numbers:
- Total Medals: pinot noir (8.4), sparkling (8.7), red blends (11.2) and chardonnay (12.6)
- Bronze: pinot noir (8.6), red blends (8.8), sparkling (9.5) and chardonnay (11.8)
- Silver: pinot noir (6.3), sparkling (8.1), riesling (8.7), red blends (12.6) and chardonnay (13.2)
In the Gold Medal category pinot noir moved ahead of sparkling wines, riesling, and also syrah with 18 of the 173 medals.
- sparkling (8.3), syrah (8.3), riesling (9.5), pinot noir (10.7), chardonnay (12.4) and red blends (12.6)
In the top Platinum category pinot noir shared top billing accounting for four of the total 18 medals awarded.
- cabernet franc (11.1), chardonnay (16.6), pinot noir (22.2), and red blends (22.2)
A huge congratulations must be given to Spearhead, located on the benchlands of South East Kelowna and you may recall they took home honours as the Best Performing Small Winery at the 2022 National Wine Awards of Canada. Spearhead concentrates on pinot noir, chardonnay and riesling with approximately 80 percent of their 15 acres of vines being planted to pinot noir. In addition to receiving three of four Platinum Medals, the winery was also awarded one Gold, three Silvers and a Bronze for their pinot noir. Unprecedented success in any single category in the 20 year history of these awards. Meyer Family Vineyards from Okanagan Falls was also triumphant in 2024, coming away with seven medals; one Platinum, three Gold, two Silver and one Bronze. Ontario’s Hidden Bench saw two Golds, along with one each by Organized Crime, Riverview Cellars, Rosehall Run and Domaine Queylus. In the end British Columbia took away 58 of 80 pinot noir medals.
And the winners are…
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Meyer 2022 B Field Blend McLean Creek Road Vineyard, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
SpearHead 2022 Club Consensus Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
SpearHead 2022 Pommard Clone Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
SpearHead 2022 Saddle Block Pinot Noir, East Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
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1 Mill Road Winery 2022 Pinot Noir Black Pine, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
1 Mill Road Winery 2022 Pinot Noir Home Block, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Blue Grouse Estate Winery 2021 Pinot Noir , Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
CedarCreek 2022 Estate Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Domaine Queylus 2020 Pinot Noir La Grande Réserve , Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Fort Berens 2022 Pinot Noir, British Columbia
Hidden Bench 2021 Pinot Noir Unfiltered Felseck Vineyard, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Hidden Bench 2021 Pinot Noir Unfiltered Locust Lane Vineyard, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Meyer 2020 Pinot Noir McLean Creek Road Vineyard, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Meyer 2022 Micro Cuvee Pinot Noir McLean Creek Road Vineyard, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Meyer 2022 Old Block Pinot Noir McLean Creek Vineyard, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Monte Creek 2022 Living Land Pinot Noir, British Columbia
Organized Crime 2020 Sacred Series Tara Block Pinot Noir Unfiltered , Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Riverview Cellars 2021 Pinot Noir, Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Rosehall Run 2022 Pinot Noir, Ontario
SpearHead 2021 Golden Retreat Pinot Noir, Summerland Lakefront, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Tightrope 2022 Pinot Noir Rubis, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Unsworth Vineyards 2022 Cowichan Valley Pinot Noir, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
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CedarCreek 2022 Aspect Block 2 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
CedarCreek 2022 Platinum South Kelowna Slopes Pinot Noir, South Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Chain Reaction Winery 2022 Pinot Noir Chain Reaction Estate Vineyard, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Flat Rock Cellars 2021 Gravity Pinot Noir, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Garry Oaks 2020 Pinot Noir, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia
Henry of Pelham 2020 Speck Family Reserve Pinot Noir , Short Hills Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Le Clos Jordanne 2020 Claystone Terrace Pinot Noir, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Le Clos Jordanne 2021 Le Grand Clos Pinot Noir, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Meyer 2020 Micro Cuvee Pinot Noir McLean Creek Road Vineyard, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Meyer 2022 Pinot Noir McLean Creek Road vineyard, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
MW Cellars 2021 Pinot Noir Unfiltered, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Nk’Mip Cellars 2022 Qwam Qwmt Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
O’Rourke Family Estate 2022 Pinot Noir, Lake Country, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
O’Rourke Family Estate 2022 The Georgian Lady Pinot Noir , Lake Country, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Privato 2020 Grande Reserve Pinot Noir, British Columbia
Privato 2021 Woodward Collection Tesoro Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Scorched Earth Winery 2020 Reserve Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
SpearHead 2021 Club Consensus Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
SpearHead 2021 Cuvée Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
SpearHead 2022 Braided Hill Pinot Noir, East Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Unsworth Vineyards 2021 Saison Vineyard Pinot Noir, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
![](https://winealignawards.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/nwac24_bronze-with-shadow.png?w=819)
3Benches Estate Winery 2022 Pinot Noir, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Arrowleaf 2022 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Bartier Bros. 2022 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Blasted Church 2022 Pinot Noir, Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
CedarCreek 2022 Aspect Block 4 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
CedarCreek 2022 Platinum East Kelowna Slopes Pinot Noir, East Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
CedarCreek 2022 Platinum Naramata Bench Pinot Noir, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Chain Reaction Winery 2022 Pendulum Pinot Noir, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Closson Chase 2021 Churchside Pinot Noir, Prince Edward County, Ontario
Domaine Queylus 2020 Pinot Noir Réserve du Domaine, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Fairview Cellars 2022 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Fielding 2022 Pinot Noir, St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Gneiss Wines 2021 Pinot Noir, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Inniskillin Okanagan 2022 Estate Pinot Noir , Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Jackson-Triggs Niagara 2021 Grand Reserve Pinot Noir, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Konzelmann 2023 Pinot Noir, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Le Clos Jordanne 2021 Jordan Village Pinot Noir, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Malivoire 2022 Small Lot Pinot Noir, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Marynissen Estates 2023 No No No Pinot Noir, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Meyer 2020 Old Block Pinot Noir McLean Creek Vineyard, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Pelee Island 2020 Pinot Noir Reserve, Lake Erie North Shore, Ontario
Poplar Grove 2022 Pinot Noir, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Privato 2021 Pinot Noir, British Columbia
Quails’ Gate 2021 Richard’s Block Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Sandbanks Estate 2021 Entre Nous Pinot Noir, Ontario
Scorched Earth Winery 2022 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
SpearHead 2021 Saddle Block Pinot Noir Unfiltered, East Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Speck Brothers Family Tree 2023 The Boxer’s Ghost Pinot Noir, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Tantalus Vineyards 2022 Maija Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Tawse 2021 Quarry Road Pinot Noir, Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Thirty Bench 2021 Small Lot Pinot Noir ‘Extended Barrel Aged’, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Trius 2022 Showcase Pinot Noir, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Van Westen/Dibello 2022 Pinot Noir, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Westcott 2020 Butlers’ Grant Old Vines Pinot Noir, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
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