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90POINTS
16½/20
Hester Creek Limited Edition The Judge 2016
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Judge is an estate wine with most of the fruit coming off the oldest vines, dating back to 1968. The 2016 mix is a blend of 37/34/26/2/1/ merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot. The small lot ferments are done in Ganimede fermenters, built for ideal extraction from the extended maceration. The finished wines are barrel aged individually, then blended and aged further before release. This wine suffered from the icon label early on, when it wasn't, but has slowly earned its respect by getting it done in the bottle, especially since 2013. It’s still more on the consumer-friendly style eschewing tension and complexity for a more hedonistic, round, upfront fruit character. The nose and palate is a mix of sagebrush, licorice, blackcurrant and chocolate dusted in spicy, balsamic notes. It's your classic rib-eye red, although you could age this through 2022.Tasted: 25 July 2019Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| BC | $43.99 | 750ml | winery direct and club members |
| BC | $95.99 | 1500ml | winery direct |
Blend: Cabernet Franc - Merlot - Cabernet SauvignonCSPC: 133124UPC: 626990112235
