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Hester Creek The Judge 2020
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Judge is made from old vines dating back to 1968. The grapes are meticulously sorted, cold-soaked and fermented in separate lots in specialized Italian tanks designed for the ideal level of flavour extraction. The 2020 vintage was highly lauded, and it is reflected in the wine. The blend is 35% merlot, 34% cabernet franc, 28% cabernet sauvignon, 2% petit verdot and 1% malbec, aged in French oak. A merlot cabernet franc lead is the recipe for success in the south Okanagan, and this is the best Judge I have tasted. Fresher, tighter, with refined black fruit, softer tannins already, and flecked with exotic notes (thank you petit verdot and malbec). It is a savoury joy to behold. A much lower level of caramel and chocolate gives this wine the stature its name suggests. Best of all, this will improve further through 2027. The 2020 vintage was the 5th warmest in growing degree days in the last two decades, ensuring phenolic ripeness across the blend. Post-malolactic, all the lots were blended and put into new and neutral French oak barrels for 24 months of aging.Tasted: 08 November 2023Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| BC | $49.99 | 750ml | winery online/direct, select private retailers, Terrafiina |
| BC | $95.99 | 1500ml | winery direct |
Blend: Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet FrancCSPC: 133124UPC: 626990112235
