Results of the 2017 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (The Nationals)

Cabernet Sauvignon

Intro by Michael Godel

In the 1970′s American daredevil winemakers were the first to put ‘cabernet sauvignon’ on the labels of their wines, as opposed to the universally acceptable monikers such as ‘Graves’ or ‘Médoc’. Those were innocently sweet times. The early days of wine as comfort food, wines that reached a consumer comfort zone. The wines themselves were not the attraction, but rather the idea they represented. The darling varietal cabernet sauvignon has never looked back and now stands accused as being a ’colonizer’ at the expense of autochthonous varieties. Is the criticism warranted? Should a champion at the top of its game be castigated for its hard-earned, commercial success?

There are few global growing regions where the controversy speaks louder than it does in Canada where although cabernet sauvignon does not intrude on valuable indigenous varietal land space, it does fill rows where grape varieties like riesling, chardonnay, cabernet franc, gamay and pinot noir might otherwise thrive. So why do growers insist on its ubiquitous existence? Because it sells. Simply put, cabernet sauvignon is the grape of dreams. If you produce it, people will come. They will pull the bottles off the shelves, “not knowing for sure why they’re doing it.” They’ll arrive at the wine store, “as innocent as children, longing for the past. The one constant through all the years” has been cabernet sauvignon.

Wine producers in Ontario and British Columbia must buy into the dream because they aren’t backing away from increasing its presence on their soils. Why mess with success is the ideal, even if it rarely ripens in Ontario and gets too hot and bothered in B.C. before the phenolic journey has been completed. In Ontario climate change is making a new argument for its trending growth and in B.C. the acumen and experience is leading to better wines.

There are 735 acres of vines planted in British Columbia, placing it smack dab in the middle between syrah/cabernet franc and pinot noir/merlot. In terms of vinifera, in Ontario only cabernet franc enjoys a larger grape harvest. Even today fashion is stronger than science. At least the varietal (more than merlot and syrah) is capable of managing to survive the harshest of winters. At this year’s NWAC17 the Gold Medal winners were from B.C. producers with a proven track record of making outstanding big reds while surprisingly enough, four of the six Silver Medalists were from Ontario. The Bronze Medals were virtually an even split. Apparently the jury is still out.

Burrowing Owl 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
C.C. Jentsch 2014 Small Lots Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

Black Sage 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon , Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Kacaba 2015 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon / Signature Series, Niagara Escarpment, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Magnotta 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Edition , Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Painted Rock 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Peller Estates Niagara 2014 Andrew Peller Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Tawse 2012 Wine Club Cabernet Sauvignon, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

C.C. Jentsch 2015 Small Lots Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Church & State 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Fielding 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Icellars 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Moon Curser 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon , Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Nk’Mip Cellars 2014 Qwam Qwmt Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Perseus 2012 Select Lots Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Trius 2014 Showcase East Block Cabernet Sauvignon Clark Farm Vineyard, Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Upper Bench 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon , Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Wayne Gretzky 2015 Estate Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario