Hester Creek wines
Monday, April 20th: Here are the notes on the Hester Creek wines I tasted last week, which are now released.
Hester Creek Character White 2025 (Okanagan Valley)
A blend of Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. Pale straw in colour; aromatic, spicy, peachy-apple bouquet with a floral top note; medium-bodied, dry, apple, lychee and lemon flavours. Well-balanced and lingering. (90)
Hester Creek Pinot Blanc 2025
Pale straw colour; white peach bouquet; medium-bodied, dry, elegant, well-extracted peach and lemon flavours. Lovely mouth-feel, great length. (91)
Hester Creek Pinot Gris 2025
Straw colour; floral, peach pit nose; medium-bodied, dry, peach and green melon flavours. Vibrant acidity, good length. (91)
Hester Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2025
Pale straw colour; grassy, green plum and gooseberry on the nose; medium-bodied, dry, elegant, green apple and green plum flavours with a lemon-lime finish. (90)
Hester Creek Pinot Gris Viognier 2025
Straw colour; spicy, peach nose with a honeysuckle top note; medium-bodied, just off-dry, honeyed peach flavour with a floral flourish on the finish. (91)
Hester Creek Old Vine Trebbiano 2024
Pale straw in colour; minerally, stoney, citrus nose with a light floral lift; medium-bodied, dry, crabapple and lemon flavours carried on lively acidity. Great length. (90)
Tuesday, April 21st: Received six wines to taste from Winemaker’s Cut. Here’s their note on their website:
Like a director’s cut, an edited version of a film that represents the director’s unique point of view, Winemaker’s CUT is influenced by the winemaker and their unique styling/blending of an Okanagan wine.
The grapes that shape CUT wines are hand-harvested at Deadman Lake Vineyard just south of Oliver, BC. With utmost respect to nature, while honoring traditional winemaking methods, sustainable farming, and a zero pesticides policy with low sulphur use, CUT wines develop naturally and express characteristics indicative of this unique Okanagan vineyard.
Winemaker’s Cut winees
Winemaker’s Cut Bohemian Blanc 2019 (Okanagan Valley)
70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Semillon. Straw colour; spicy, minerally, vanilla, toasty, melon nose; medium-bodied, crisply dry, grapefruit and green melon flavours with bracing acidity. Drink now or through 2023. (89)
Winemaker’s Cut Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Bright, light straw in colour; cut grass, green peach with a touch of oak; medium-bodied, dry, round on the palate with green plum and gooseberry flavours. Lovely mouth-feel. Drink now or through 2023. (90)
Winemaker’s Cut Bohemian Riesling 2020
Pale straw in colour; minerally, lightly honeyed and floral nose of grapefruit with a touch of petrol; light to medium-bodied, off-dry, honey and peach flavours with balancing lemony acidity. Drink now or hold 2–3 years. (90)
Winemaker’s Cut Boho Zen 2020
50% Syrah, 50% Merlot. Deep purple colour; cedary, vanilla, blackberry with oak spice; medium to full-bodied, dry, juicy, ripe blackberry and blueberry flavours; well-balanced and well-integrated oak. Drink now but will improve with 1–2 years cellaring. (90)
Winemaker’s Cut Bohemian Cuvée Rouge 2019
40% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot. Purple-ruby colour; spicy, cedary, tobacco, white pepper, toasty, blueberry bouquet with a floral top note; medium-bodied, fresh, juicy redcurrant and plum flavours with well-integrated oak and mouth-watering acidity. Drinking well now but will develop with a year in bottle. (90)
Winemaker’s Cut Bohemian Cabernet Franc 2020
Purple-ruby colour; cedary, blueberry nose; medium-bodied, dry, juicy, blueberry and plum flavours with oak spice; firmly structured with ripe tannins. A well-balanced wine. Fine rich mouth-feel ending on powdery tannins. Can be opened now but will become more integrated with 2–3 years cellaring. (91–92)
Wednesday, April 22nd: Dinner: chicken breast in cream sauce, with Strewn Chardonnay 2025.
Thursday, April 23rd: Dinner: I made shrimps in red pepper cream sauce on a bed of rice. The wine: Henry of Pelham The Goat Lady Chardonnay 2025.
Friday, April 24th: Dinner: Deborah made her famous Bolognese sauce for tagliatelle. The wine: Winemaker’s Cut Bohemian Cabernet Franc 2020.
Saturday, April 25th: A winemaker’s dinner at Bolete featuring the wines of Thirty Bench’s Emma Garner. Great meal and wine matching.
Winemaker’s dinner wines
Winemaker’s dinner menu
