Results of the 2018 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (The Nationals)

Sauvignon Blanc

Category overview by judge and panel leader Janet Dorozynski

Sauvignon Blanc is the classic white grape variety of Sancerre in the Loire Valley and as a blending component in the some of Bordeaux’s most interesting white blends. But it was New Zealand who really brought Savvy, as they call it, to the attention of many of the world’s wine drinkers and I’m sure has been the inspiration behind a number of the vineyards planted in Canada.

There is a decent amount of plantings of sauvignon blanc in both British Columbia and Ontario, with the former producing wines that tend to be riper, more fruit forward and at times blowsy. In Ontario, where the variety is particularly sensitive to winter cold, the sauvignon blancs lean toward a leaner, more herbaceous style with a more prominent display of the characteristic bell pepper for which the grape is known.

The entries at this year’s Nationals were split almost evenly between Ontario (all 3 appellations) and British Columbia (the Okanagan Valley and Vancouver Island) and after last year’s absence of gold, there were 5 gold medals with Ontario edging out BC slightly with one more gold in the count. There was also a strong showing with 10 silver medals, with much to discover for fans of this grape variety.

The team at Peller Estates and Trius in Ontario continue to lead the way for sauvignon blanc, with intense but restrained styles with added complexity from their use of wild yeast fermentation. While in British Columbia, the top scoring sauvignon blancs from Howling Bluff and Maverick tend toward more fruit intensity and richness coming from either oak or some skin contact in the initial stages of wine making.

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Howling Bluff 2016 Sauvignon Blanc Three Mile Creek Reserve, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
G. Marquis 2016 Sauvignon Blanc The Red Line, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Maverick 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Peller Estates Niagara 2017 Private Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Trius 2016 Showcase Clean Slate Sauvignon Blanc Wild Ferment, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

Blasted Church 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Château des Charmes 2017 Sauvingon Blanc, Niagara Escarpment, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Clos du Soleil 2016 Capella, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Haywire 2016 Sauvignon Blanc Waters & Banks, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2017 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Kacaba 2017 Susan’s Sauvignon Blanc, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Liber Farm 2017 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Lake Breeze Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Mission Hill 2017 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Redstone 2016 Limestone Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Traynor 2016 Sauvignon Blanc, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

Creekside 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Foreign Affair 2016 Sauvignon Blanc, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Haywire 2016 Free Form, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Intersection 2015 Reserve Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
La Frenz 2017 Sauvignon Blanc Rattlesnake Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Peller Estates Niagara 2016 Andrew Peller Signature Series Sauvignon Blanc, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
River Stone 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

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