Anthony Gismondi: 10 highest-scoring wines grown and produced in B.C.
The results are final at the 2023 Wine Align National Wine Awards of Canada, and like most years, there are always surprises that surface in blind tastings. The wines that merit the highest praise are the platinum medal winners and the highest-scoring golds. In the case of platinum, only the top one per ent of the wines are eligible and must have attained a minimal score of 93 out of 100 points.
Today we look at the top 10 highest-scoring wines grown and produced in B.C., and we begin with the wine of the competition: Deep Roots 2020 Reserve Chardonnay $29.90 (platinum 93.75) from the Naramata Bench. The judges loved everything this wine offered, including its next world Chardonnay charm and savoir faire. Deep Roots farms two vineyards on the Naramata Bench, the estate Hardman Vineyard on the Aikins Loop and Rayner’s Vineyard, located north of Naramata village. It is wine not to miss.
The top Pinot Noir from B.C. was the Privato 2020 Tesoro Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, $49.44 (platinum 93.25). Tesoro, from the Italian, means treasure, and topping the B.C Pinot Noir list assures it will be a treasured find if any is left out there.
