'Best of the Bench' sounds like an exclusive club, a sensational society, a buzzworthy collection.
It sounds that way because it is special, elite and enviable.
The third annual 'Best of the Bench' competition has revealed what the top 12 wines on the Naramata Bench are for 2024.
The Naramata Bench is the picturesque sub-geographic indication (sub-GI) wine region northeast of Penticton that's crowded with more than 50 small, artisan wineries.
Two renowned Masters of Wine -- Siobhan Turner from London, England and Doug Frost from Kansas City, Missouri -- blind tasted 75 wines submitted by 26 wineries to determine the 12 best.
There are only 416 Masters of Wine in the world, so having two in the same room to determine the winners was a coup.
Blind tasting is just that, the masters tasted all the wines without knowing the name of the winery or wine or any other details about the wine to assign a score out of 100.
Turner and Frost did the blind tasting and scoring on June 5.
Then on the evening of June 6, Turner and Frost were around again as the Naramata Bench Wineries Association threw a party at Poplar Grove Winery and invited the public to taste wines from the 26 wineries attending.
The Best of the Best of the Bench -- the absolute top-scoring wine -- was the 2022 Gamay light red wine from Three Sisters Winery with 95.5 points.
The Three Sisters Gamay costs $27 -- a real deal for a red that's garnered such an accolade.
Hot on the heels of the Three Sisters Gamay were five wines with 95-point scores -- Elephant Island Blanc de Blancs 2015 Sparkling ($69), Howling Bluff Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon 2022 ($22), Upper Bench 2022 Riesling ($26), Deep Roots 2022 Gamay ($22) and Moraine 2022 Estate Pinot Noir ($37).
See the full list below.
Being named one of the 'Best of the Bench' wines is a guaranteed sales boost.
So, if you want to get your hands on these award-winning wines purchase them soon because they could very well sell out quickly.
The wineries all have online sales, but better yet, visit the wineries if you can to buy so you can also soak up the whole Naramata vibe.
The news release announcing the 'Best of the Bench' said: "Both MWs (Turner and Frost) were deeply impressed by the outstanding quality of the submitted wines, further reinforcing the exceptional reputation of the Naramata Bench region. The success of the 'Best of the Bench' event highlights the amazing talent and dedication present on the Naramata Bench and builds anticipation for future events that continue to showcase the region's extraordinary wines and elevate its global reputation."
Best of the Bench 2024
- Three Sisters 2022 Gamay ($27), 95.5 points
- Elephant Island Blanc de Blancs 2015 Sparkling ($69), 95 points
- Upper Bench 2022 Riesling ($26), 95 points
- Deep Roots 2022 Gamay ($22), 95 points
- Moraine 2022 Estate Pinot Noir ($37), 95 points
- Howling Bluff 2022 Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon ($22), 95 points
- Four Shadows 2023 Riesling Classic ($25), 94.5 points
- Chain Reaction Reserve Blanc de Noir 2022 (white wine from red grapes) ($30), 93.5 points
- Terravista 2023 Fandango (white blend of Albarino and Verdejo) ($33), 93.5 points
- Little Engine 2020 Gold Merlot ($68), 93 points
- Van Westen 2022 Viscous Riesling ($28), 92.5 points (this wine also just won 'white wine of the year' at the All Canadian Wine Championships)
- Tightrope 2022 Pinot Noir Fleet Road ($38), 92.5 points
