Hester Creek releases reds from the Epic 22 vintage

Photo: Hester Creek winemaker Mark Hopley (courtesy of Hester Creek)

Hester Creek has nicknamed the Okanagan’s 2022 vintage as Epic 22, underlining the splendid quality of one of the best growing seasons ever in the valley. Most wineries and most commentators agree with that ranking.

2022 “will go down in history as one of the most challenging yet productive years on record,” writes Cassidy Keens, the winery’s public relations and events coordinator. “The extended growing season that year led to a longer harvest, with each grape carefully handpicked. Thanks to the addition of new vineyards, our overall yield was nearly 30% larger than we had originally anticipated. This larger fruit yield remained on the vine longer than usual. Just as we approached the end of [harvest], an unexpected three feet of snow fell on November 2. As a result of this heavy snowfall, the grape skins began to raisin slightly and concentrate, enhancing the flavour intensity, structure and colour of the wines. These wines reflect the personality and uniqueness of this particularly outstanding vintage.”

She continues by quoting Mark Hopley, Hester Creek’s winemaker, on his assessment of the winery’s flagship red wine, called Garland in tribute to winery owner Curt Garland. “This vintage of Garland is the finest we have ever crafted,” Mark says. “It has amazing concentration of fruit while remaining elegant.”

The downside of the late harvest of 2022 is that many vines were not yet fully dormant when a sharp frost swept over the valley. The resulting damage to fruiting buds and vines significantly reduced the 2023 harvest. Then, to make matters worse, a really hard freeze in January 2024 eliminated about 95% of that year’s crop. Mark Sheridan, Hester Creek’s president, was among the first of the Okanagan vintners to travel to the Columbia Valley in Washington State in March, 2024, nailing down grapes for Hester Creek’s 2024 vintage. “We met with from seven sub-AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), learned their stories, analyzed their growing practices and built a partnership to import the best grapes possible,” the winery writes. Hester Creek often had first choice. “Each block was chosen with absolute discretion for the varietal, location, growing practices and quality of the fruit.”

The winery has been releasing wines from what it calls its Columbia Collection. There are seven or eight wines, two of which are reviewed here. I reviewed four of them earlier this year; I repeat those scores to indicate the consistent quality of the wines. Hester Creek has not yet reported on how its Okanagan vineyards are doing this year, but I would infer from what other wineries are saying that the vines have rebounded with generous crops. Hester Creek has every intention of returning to making VQA wines when the B.C. vineyards support that. Here are notes on recent releases, including some Epic 22 wines.

Hester Creek Riesling 2024 ($24.99). The grapes for this wine are from the Ancient Lakes AVA. Harvested by hand, the fruit was delivered by temperature-controlled trucks to Hester Creek’s crush pad the same day. The wine was fermented cool for 20 days and aged in stainless steel for five months before being bottled. It is a juicy wine, with aromas and flavours of peach, grapefruit and green apple. 90.

Hester Creek Rosé Noir 2024 ($27.99). The fruit, clone 777 Pinot Noir, was sourced in the Ancient Lakes AVA. The grapes came to Hester Creek in refrigerated trucks and, on being crushed, had three hours of skin contact to extract the delicate hue that presents in the glass. The wine was fermented cool for 20 days and aged four months in stainless steel before bottling. The wine begins with aromas of wild strawberries, leading to delicate flavours of strawberry and raspberry. 90.

Hester Creek Pinot Gris 2024 ($19.99). 90.

Hester Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2024 ($19.99). 90.

Hester Creek Viognier 2024 ($23.99). 91.

Hester Creek Rosé Cabernet Franc 2024 ($22.99). 88.

Hester Creek Old Vine Cabernet Franc 2022 ($29.99). This wine was aged 18 months in barrels (75% French, 25% American). The wine begins with aromas of blackberry and raspberry which are echoed on the palate, along with notes of chocolate. The intense flavours lead to a persistent finish. 93.

Hester Creek Syrah 2022 ($29.99). The grapes in this wine were co-fermented with Viognier. The wine was aged 14 months in oak (60% American, 40% French). The wine begins with aromas of blackberry, dark cherry and black pepper. The wine is rich in texture, with flavours of plum and cherry mingled with deli meats. 91.

Hester Creek The Judge 2022 ($49.99). This is a blend of 47% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% each of Petit Verdot and Malbec. The wine was aged 14 months in French oak. The wine begins with aromas of dark cherry and cocoa, leading to flavours of dark cherry and black currant with hints of tobacco on the lingering finish. 92.

Hester Creek Garland 2022 ($64.99). The blend is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec. The wine was aged 24 months in French oak. A hint of oak comes through on the bold palate as cedar, mingled with cloves and dark fruit. The palate delivers rich flavours of plum, dark cherry and cassis. The long, ripe tannins mark this as a wine with good aging potential. 95.