BEST WINES IN CANADA - 2007
Each year, the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto invites wine producers across Canada to submit their best VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance)wines for judging by a panel of experts. To create the Great Canadian List - the best wines in Canada for 2007 - the organizers issued the invitation to 50 Canadian wine producers and received 250 entrees mostly from Ontario and British Columbia.
A panel of professional sommeliers, restaurant managers, culinary experts and wine writers blindly tasted and re-tasted the submissions over a period of three days. The resulting wine menu is the best of what Canada wine producers have to offer.
EPIC, The Fairmont Royal York’s signature restaurant was the scene for the launch and wines were paired with foods created by Chef de Cuisine Jean-Charles Dupoire. The fine-dining restaurant has been acknowledged by Wine Access Magazine for having “Ontario’s best local list,” and has also been recognized by the Wine Council of Ontario for providing exemplary Ontario VQA wine experiences to discerning patrons. The Fairmont Royal York continually purchases more imported and domestic wine than any other hotel in Canada. It is the North American hotel industry’s largest purchaser of Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) Canadian wines.
Here in random order is the 2007 Great Canadian List including name of winery, winning wine and tasting notes:
Trius an Andrew Pellar Winery
2006 Trius White - Medium bodied white with perfumed elegance and finesse. Well balanced and integrated wine with great acidity. Characteristics include ripe lemon citrus rind, lychee fruits with a perfumed undertone.
Henry of Pelham
2004 Speck Family Reserve Riesling - Classic notes of mineral, petrol, with notes of citrus and quince. A complex and well balanced reisling that is a fantastic example of what Ontario can do with this grape.
2006 Sauvignon Blanc - A refreshing uncomplicated wine. Exudes gentle notes of grass, herbs, lime zest with a hint of grapefruit.
Jackson Triggs
Delaine Vineyard Syrah - Ripe dense blackberry fruit with undertones of pepper and spice. Well balance with a long elegant finish.
Jackson Triggs Okanagan
Proprietor's Reserve Merlot - Soft and luscious – exudes riper notes on the palate of blackberry and cassis. Soft tannins and a rich mouth - feel make this wine very approachable and drinkable.
Sumac Ridge Okanagan
Stellars Jay Brut - Fresh strawberry and citrus notes with a gentle toasty undertone. Great crisp acidity and elegant mousse.
Tawse Winery
2004 Beamsville Bench Reserve Chardonnay - Well balanced and intergrated wine with great complexity. Notes of citrus, honey ripe peach with nicely integrated oak.
Le Clos Jordanne
2005 Chardonnay - Soft elegant and well integrated oak and toast. Notes of citrus and ripe peach. Great acidity with long finish.
2005 Pinot Noir - Ripe strawberry and raspberry with undertones of earth and spice. A wine with great complexity and character.
Cave Spring
2004 Brut - Champanois style of a Canadian sparkler. Gently toasty notes with nice integration of ripe lemon polish. Soft elegant mousse, lively acidity, and long finish.
Chateau des Charmes
2005 St. David's Bench Cabernet Sauvignon - Deeply coloured well concentrated wine. Notes of dense fruit, dark chocolate, bell pepper, and toastiness. Very approachable but will still age for a few years.
Colio Estates
2002 CEV Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon - Strawberry, blackberry with hints of raspberry. Toasty notes with hints of dark chocolate. Big and powerful wine that shows great potential for aging.
Inniskillin
2005 Discovery Series Zinfandel - Raspberry, Blackberry, plum and cherry. Velvety smooth with a long elegant finish.
Lailey Vineyard
2005 Cabernet Franc - Dark cherry and raspberry dominate the nose. Lively acidity with hints of green plum and dark chocolate tease the palate. A great food wine.