Mav Wine and Spirit Awards - 2010

Written by the Tidings Staff | 02 February 2011

For the 4th consecutive year, Tidings' tasting team has been hard at work sampling as many wines and spirits from around the world as possible in an effort to bring you a list of the best of the best. Each year, Tidings hands out the Mav Wine and Spirit Awards to those that best demonstrate each winemaker's goals and visions. The wines and spirits below exemplify what each winery is all about. Now it's your turn. Sit back and enjoy this year’s selection. The tasters were Gurvinder Bhatia, Tony Aspler, Sean Wood, Gilles Bois, Evan Saviolidis, Jonathan Smithe and Harry Hertscheg.

Wine

92 Closson Chase Chardonnay 2006, Beamsville Bench, Niagara ($44.95)
A fascinatingly complex wine. Straw colour with a high toned, floral, spicy tangerine nose; clean and crisp, more Burgundian in style than Deborah Paskus’ 2005 or 2007; elegant, full on the palate with great length. A triumph. (TA)

88 Cuvée Peter Huff Blanc de Blanc Sparkling 2006, Prince Edward County ($39.95)
This is Prince Edward County’s best sparkler. It spent 3 years on the lees, and the bubbles summon forth apples, citrus, yeast and some nuttiness. The acid is bright and the finish is lengthy. Pair this will PEC pickerel (walleye) in a beurre blanc sauce — it is a match made in heaven! (ES)

88 Road 13 Honest John’s Rosé 2009, Okanagan ($26.99)
Bright and lively with aromas and flavours of strawberries, cranberries, and more strawberries. The palate is refreshingly juicy with a pleasant savoury quality and fresh acidity. Chill it and quaff it. A great patio wine. Think grilled shrimp or chicken or just a big pile of steamed peel-and-eat shrimp. (GB)

90 Niagara College Teaching Winery Dean's List Meritage Canadian Oak Project 2007, Niagara-on-the-Lake ($39)
The Canadian oak presents lots of torrefaction aromas. Roasted coffee bean and smoke come together with the dark fruits, tobacco, spice and vanilla to create a very pretty wine. It is full-bodied with an extended finish and good tannins. Enjoy it now to 2015. (ES)

89 Sula Vineyards Shiraz 2008, Nashik, India ($14)
It’s happening. India and China are finally getting into the wine game. This easy-drinking, medium-bodied has light punches of black cherry and white pepper on the palate. A not-so-quick finish leaves you wanting more. This wine will wash down your favourite curry very well. (JS)

88 Ktima Pavlidis Thema Red 2007, Drama, Greece ($27.45)
This mid weight combination of Syrah and Agiorgitiko greets the taster with a black cherry colour. Then the aromas of plums, cassis, cocoa, spice and flowers meet up with flavours of vanilla on the palate. Tannins are supple, so drink over the next three years. Serve with beef tartare or duck confit. (ES)

89 Black Hills Nota Bene 2008, Okanagan ($60)
The complex, savoury nose presents cigar box, cedar, red berries and dried herbs. The earth-toned, angular palate brings out red cherry, tobacco and coffee. Finishes with lingering nuances of cassis and liquorice. This 3-Bordeaux-varietal blend will gain complexity with 2 to 5 years cellaring. (HH)

89 Quails’ Gate Totally Botrytis Affected Optima 2008, Okanagan ($30/375ml)
Surprisingly gentle palate after the initial blast on the nose. Complex, riveting aromas of peach, pineapple, tangerine, ginger, honey and sultana raisin give way to flavours of stewed peach and caramelized pineapple, with lingering dried apricot and marzipan. A post-dinner palate cleanser. (HH)

De Angelis Rosso Piceno DOC, 2008, Marche, Italy ($16.99)
This crazy good value of Montepulciano and Sangiovese comes from one of the world’s best-value wine producers in one of the best-value wine producing regions. Fruit driven, fresh and full of character with an intriguing smokiness, plenty of cherry flavours, a savoury meatiness and a refreshing finish. Easy to drink, but far from simple. The Italian press called this a “consumer’s dream” because of its great price-to-quality ratio. They’re right. (GB)