Hester Creek Old Vine Cabernet Franc 2022

The Cab Franc was harvested with each bunch hand sorted before being destemmed with whole berries sent to the estate’s Italian Ganimede fermentation tanks where they were cold soaked for two days before undergoing a 15-day fermentation. The wine was then pressed off the skins aged for 18 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels. Really nice Cabernet Franc here from the South Okanagan’s Golden Mile Bench terroir. It has a penetrating nose of black currant puree, wild raspberries, anise, mulled herbs, pepper and toasted vanilla bean and spice. It’s mouth-filling on the palate with ripe dark berries, sun-drenched raspberries, anise/licorice, firm tannic structure, oak spice notes and a lifted, finessed and long finish. Can cellar through 2035. Score – 93. (Rick VanSickle, winesinniagara.com, June 26, 2025)