Hester Creek wines
With the disastrous Okanagan winter weather, Hester Creek was forced to look south to Washington State for grapes for their 2024 vintage. Their labels call the series of wines their “Columbia Valley Collection.”
On their website, they say the fruit was “chosen for the proximity and similarities to the South Okanagan with respect to terroir, varietals and viticultural history.”
Hester Creek Pinot Grigio 2024
Pale pink gold in colour; peach pit nose; medium-bodied dry, well-extracted lemony-peach flavours with a thread of minerality. (89)
Hester Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Pale straw colour; a bouquet of cut grass, green pepper and gooseberry; medium-bodied, crisply dry with green passionfruit, gooseberry and grapefruit flavours and an intriguing bitter note on the finish. (90)
Hester Creek Viognier 2024
Pale straw in colour with a lime tint; minerally, lightly floral, honeysuckle and peach nose; medium-bodied, dry, peach and starfruit flavours; well-balanced, great length, finishing on a lemony note. (90)
Hester Creek Cabernet Franc Rosé 2024
Deep pink tending towards a pale ruby in colour; cherry pit nose with a light floral note; medium-bodied, just off-dry, with raspberry and cherry flavours. A well-balanced, easy drinking wine. (90)
Friday, March 14th: Dropped into a new Turkish restaurant that has taken the space formerly occupied by Archives wine bar in Port Dalhousie. It’s called Lokanta, offering Mediterranean cuisine. Unfortunately, no wine, but they may try to get a BYOB licence.
Sunday, March 16th: Meg Mcgrath and Phil Dowling came over for drinks. I opened a bottle of Chanoine Frères Champagne and Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune de Château 2009. Deborah made a Guinness Chocolate Cake from a New York Times recipe, which was delicious.
Guinness Chocolate Cake
Other wines tasted this week: Wolf Blass Shiraz 2022, 19 Crimes Shiraz Durif, Flat Rock Unplugged Chardonnay 2006 (still very much alive, comes on like a Grand Cru Chablis!), Dobbin Estate Chardonnay 2019, Sperling Old Vines Riesling 2014, Black Bank Hill Syrah 2021.
Tuesday, March 18th: Today I was invited by Southbrook to come to the winery to taste a series of old wines they will be offering to their members through their Sip Club. All the wines were served at room temperature.
Southbrook Triomphe Chardonnay 2000
Old gold-bronze in colour; toasty, caramel nose with oak spice; medium-bodied, dry, peach and lemon flavours; mature, soft mouth-feel. Great length. (91)
Southbrook Poetica Unfiltered Chardonnay 2003
Deep old cold colour; toasty, vanilla bouquet of burnt orange peel; full-bodied, dry, butterscotch and tangerine flavours. Lively acidity; great length. (92)
Southbrook Poetica Chardonnay 2004
Yellow gold in colour; toasty, barnyard nose of apple and oak spice; full-bodied, dry, white honey and apple flavours; mature, white Burgundy style; apple flavours, beautifully balanced and elegant. (93)
Southbrook Poetica Chardonnay 2010
Yellow gold in colour; toasty, biscuity nose of yellow apples; medium to full-bodied, dry, honeyed apple flavour; well balanced with lively acidity. (91)
Southbrook Whimsy Lot 20 Chardonnay 2010
Old gold colour; toasty, apple nose with forest floor notes; full-bodied, dry, richly extracted apple and peach flavours with well-integrated oak. Burgundian style. (93)
Southbrook Poetica Chardonnay 1998 (in magnum)
Deep golden colour; toasty, barnyard nose of baked apple; full-bodied, dry, mature, orange and ripe pear flavours with a macadamia nut note on the finish. Very Burgundian. (93)
Southbrook Poetica Chardonnay 2000 (in magnum)
Deep golden colour; funky nose of baked apple, caramel and oak spice; medium-bodied, dry, toasty Burgundian style; creamy mouth feel; great length with a nutty finish. (90)
Southbrook Poetica Chardonnay 2011
Bright straw in colour; toasty, apple bouquet; medium to full-bodied, dry, richly extracted apple and hazel nut flavours; well balanced, great length. (91)
Southbrook Poetica Chardonnay 2016
Bright straw in colour; lifted, high-toned nose pf apple, vanilla and toasty oak; medium-bodied, dry, elegant, apple and lemon flavours; firmly structured. (90)
Southbrook reds
Southbrook Triomphe Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Deep purple-ruby in colour with a tawny rim; cedary, spicy, blackcurrant nose; medium-bodied, dry, firmly structured earthy, red and blackcurrant flavours still remarkably youthful; lively acidity with evident but soft tannins. (89)
Southbrook Triomphe Cabernet Franc 2010 (under screwcap)
Ruby colour with a tawny rim; cedary, plum nose with vanilla oak notes; full-bodied, dry, richly extracted blackcurrant and plum flavours carried on lively acidity. Lovely mouth feel. (90)
Southbrook Small Lot Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Deep purple-ruby in colour; cedary, toasty, blackcurrant bouquet; medium-bodied, dry, elegant, red and blackcurrant flavours with a firm tannic finish; beautifully balanced with well-integrated oak. (90)
Southbrook Poetica Red 2019 (65% Merlot/35% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Deep ruby-purple in colour; cedary, vanilla and plum bouquet; medium to full-bodied, well-extracted plum and currant flavours with evident but ripe tannins. Good length. (90)
(These old wines, for the most part, are under Coravin and will be at the tasting bar. Drop by and grab a taste before they’re gone.)
Currently on the shelves at the winery:
Southbrook Triomphe Cabernet Franc 2021
Deep ruby colour; cedary, plum nose with vanilla oak notes; medium-bodied, dry, savoury, plum flavour with well-integrated oak; firmly structured with evident tannins. Hold for 1–2 years. (89–90)
Southbrook Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Deep purple in colour; cedary, vanilla, spicy blackcurrant bouquet; medium-bodied, dry, savoury, blackcurrant and plum flavours with ripe tannins. Firmly structured with an engaging floral note on the finish. Hold 1–2 years. (90–91)
