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90POINTS
16½/20
Hester Creek Old Vine Merlot 2020
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada2020 is a dense mix of ripe black cherry with an undercurrent of tobacco, savoury desert scrub, and black plums. The tannins are soft, and the textures lush, soaking up the nearly 15 percent alcohol that adds even more gloss to the wine. This big red comes with a gentle demeanour that should capture the imagination of many wine drinkers. Lamb sirloin is the winery dinner pick, and I agree. It is the perfect meat to stand up to the density of this 2020 merlot, one of the best we have tasted from Hester Creek. The Old Vine merlot comes off 50 year old vines in Block 2 on the Golden Mile Bench estate vineyard. The fruit is fermented in unique Italian Ganimede stainless steel tanks over two weeks. The tank is constructed with an internal cone that traps CO2 below it during fermentation. As excess CO2 is formed, large bubbles gently rise to the surface through the neck of the cone, which constantly agitates the cap keeping all the skins wet and evenly dispersed without promoting any harsh tannins. After fermenting, the wine is barrel-aged in mostly French oak for 18 months.Tasted: 21 December 2022Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| BC | $27.99 | 750ml | winery online/direct, select private retailers, restaurants |
Grape: MerlotCSPC: 773347UPC: 128260370012
