A New Expression of Hester Creek
This summer we are thrilled to introduce a new expression for our wine portfolio. Hester Creek is an estate winery with a unique, pioneering past and a modern, state-of the art facility. In 2011 we undertook a rebranding, and now a decade later after many innovative changes at the winery, in our vineyards, and with our team, we felt the need to elevate the packaging look and feel to better reflect the quality of our brand and our historic property. We believe the refreshed packaging provides better clarity for the tiers and a consistent thread between them. The new, rich tapestry of colours provide a connection directly to the cherished Tuscan styling of the Hester Creek estate. We worked with design agencies in Portland and Kelowna on the varied design elements, which offer cues to the product’s value through use of foils in key typography, the medallion and logos, embossing and debossing, seals, and silk-screening.
Our four new wine tiers are comprised of the Foundation Wines, Source Collection, Storied Series, and Origin Wines.
Foundation Wines: Our Roots Run Deep, with wines founded in great quality and value, born of this unique place in the Okanagan Valley. The wines include: 2021 Character White, 2021 Pinot Blanc, 2021 Pinot Gris, 2021 Cabernet Franc Rosé, 2020 Character Red, 2020 Select Vineyards Cabernet Merlot, 2020 Select Vineyards Merlot, and 2020 Ti Amo.
Source Collection: A source of inspiration, these wines represent the treasured qualities of our rare Old Vine vineyard and that of our select South Okanagan growers. The wines include: 2021 Old Vine Trebbiano, 2020 Chardonnay, 2019 Syrah, 2019 Old Vine Merlot, 2019 Old Vine Cabernet Franc, 2019 Late Harvest Old Vine Pinot Blanc, and 2018 Old Vine Brut.
Storied Series: Each of these small lot wines tell a unique story of its meticulous, sustainable viticulture, its distinctive terroir, and innovative and careful winemaking practices. The wines include: 2020 Pinot Bianco, 2020 Sémillon, 2020 Viognier, 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2019 Joe’s Block.
Origin Wines: Wines of phenomenal origin and destiny, the Judge and Garland are crafted from the best barrels in our cellar, and are an authentic expression of our historic Golden Mile Bench estate. The wines include: 2018 Judge and 2018 Garland.
SUMMER WINE RELEASES
A sampling of our new releases this summer are below, they are all currently available either online for order, or at the winery.
2020 Foundation Series Ti Amo
$19.99 per bottle (B.C. + tax)
This delightful second vintage of our Prosecco-style wine is made primarily with Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Sémillon from our estate and local Oliver vineyards. The fruit was handpicked, carefully sorted and whole cluster pressed. Following a 28-day cool ferment in stainless steel at 12°C, the wine was racked and blended. The cuvée was re-fermented for 30 days in tank in the classic Charmat-Martinotti method. Radiant and creamy, it shows delicate floral scents of pretty rose petal followed by a lively palate of passion fruit, lychee and a touch of zesty citrus. Versatile and fun with just a kiss of sweetness.
2018 Source Collection Old Vine Brut
$34.99 per bottle (B.C. + tax)
This inaugural vintage of our Traditional Method Blanc de Blanc is crafted from old vine Pinot Blanc grapes, selected from our historic 50 year old estate. The grapes were handpicked early to half full bins, then meticulously hand sorted and whole cluster pressed. En tirage was 24 months to develop the classic rich and creamy autolytic characters. Golden hued, it has a lively persistent mousse with inviting aromas of toasty brioche and green apple. The pristine and luminous palate displays bright citrus zest, along with a light minerality and lengthy finish. Exceptional and rare, this Old Vine Brut shows the unique qualities of half century old vines in producing outstanding fruit intensity.
2019 Source Collection Syrah
$29.99 per bottle (B.C. + tax)
Voluminous yet fresh, this elegant take on Syrah was crafted with handpicked grapes primarily from our Golden Mile Bench estate and a longtime grower on the Black Sage Bench, the Eagles Nest Vineyard. The wine was a co-fermentation of Syrah and a small amount of Viognier from the Star Vineyard in Osoyoos. This vintage presents loads of black cherry, cocoa and white pepper aromas highlighted with pretty floral and wild sagebrush notes. A full palate follows of ripe Lapin cherry and cassis along with smoky bacon, dark roast coffee and fresh peppercorns. A lengthy finish with fine grained tannins.
2020 Storied Series Viognier
$19.99 per bottle (B.C. + tax)
Made in small lots with only 330 cases produced, this vintage is crafted with grapes from Stone’s Throw vineyard. Adjacent to the renowned Black Sage Bench, the vineyard sits at an elevation of just over 1000 feet. After careful sorting, the fruit was whole cluster pressed, cold settled, racked and then fermented in stainless steel for 26 days. A dry and beautifully elegant wine, it displays fragrant orange zest, peach and honeysuckle aromas. The delicate palate exudes apricot and nectarine flavours along with a fresh minerality. Unoaked and incredibly versatile.
2018 Origin Wines The Judge
$43.99 (B.C. + tax)
An iconic and harmonious blend of classic Bordeaux varietals, this vintage is made with grapes from some of our oldest Golden Mile Bench vines: 37% Merlot, 33% old vine Cabernet Franc, and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit was fermented in our Italian Ganimede fermenters and following blending, the lots were aged 24 months in primarily French oak barrels. Heady aromas of vanilla, leather, sagebrush and saskatoon berry lead to a palate brimming with mocha and black cherry, along with a subtle umami savouriness. A deftly balanced wine, with ideal ripeness, acidity and a complexity of flavours, which will cellar gracefully.
At Hester Creek Estate Winery, our roots run deep. As one of the oldest wine properties in the South Okanagan, we are graced with historic vineyards and a modern winery. A pioneer on the Golden Mile Bench, our vineyard was first planted with classic varietals in 1968. Blending traditional, sustainable vineyard practices and innovative winemaking with a state of the art cellar, our wines reflect our celebrated terroir. A destination winery, Hester Creek offers a gracious wine country welcome to guests, with premium old vines wines, and unique True Wine Experiences. Our Mediterranean influenced setting offers customized tastings, scenic patios, summer barbeques, live music, farm-to-table cooking classes, luxury Tuscany styled Villa, and Italian inspired dining at Terrafina.
Media release and images provided by Lori Pike.
