This is one of Hester Creek's two flagship red blends. This is 46% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. The wine was aged 24 months in French oak. The wine is remarkably concentrated, with aromas of sage, dark fruits including plum and cherry which are echoed on the palate. The wine needs to be decanted to coax it to open up. My sample improved continuously over four days. Score - 94. (John Schreiner, johnschreiner.blogspot.com, Jan. 1, 2025)

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)

Hester Creek Estate Winery Chardonnay (2023) is fresh, silky and mouth-filling with ripe yellow apple, Bartlett pear, Meyer lemon, a hint of garden herbs and a lingering toasty vanilla-crème brûlée finish. So enticing on the nose and palate! The winery suggests pairing it with a smoked sable fish and a lemon beurre blanc dish, which we did, and it was a spot-on pairing. Tasted December 2024. Drink: 2024-2027. Score - 92. (Deborah Podurgiel, nataliemaclean.com)