Did you know that Monday, August 7, 2023, is BC Day? On this day, which I assume will be wonderfully sunny, would be great to celebrate with a bottle(s) of BC wine. I have two sparkling wines from Hester Creek Estate Winery that are great on the patio with nibbles as I tried it out myself. I have their Hester Creek Old Vine Brut 2020 from Pinot Blanc grapes made with the Traditional Method and their Hester Creek Ti Amo 2022, a white blend made with Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Sémillon, Viognier and Chardonnay, using the Charmat Method. Let me tell you about these two sparkling wines.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Hester Creek Old Vine Brut 2020 (~BC$34.99. The 2019 vintage is currently on their website.)
From the winery, “The Pinot Blanc for this year’s offering was hand harvested from our 1968 plantings in Block 4 on our Golden Mile Bench estate property. In traditional Brut fashion, the grapes were hand sorted and whole cluster pressed to retain the fresh primary characteristics of the fruit. The juice was then cold settled and racked before undergoing a cool fermentation at 13°C for 28 days. Following the traditional method, our 2020 Brut was re-fermented in the bottle, spending a total of 24 months en tirage. Over these two years, the wine ages on its lees to provide the doughy mouth weight for which Méthod Champenoise sparkling wines are renowned. The Old Vine Brut was disgorged on March 28th of 2023.”
Appearance: A clear medium lemon colour with medium-sized bubbles in the glass.
Nose: Medium-intensity sweet aromas of juicy stone fruits, orange and candied lemon, plus some floral.
Palate: Dry, medium-bodied with medium-plus acidity. Medium-sized creamy bubbles. Crisp apple, and citrus flavours, plus floral and some bitter apple skin. A touch stony and toasty as well.
Finish: Medium-plus length finishing dry, with apple flavour primarily, plus touches of floral, toast and bitterness.
Rating: 
Hester Creek Ti Amo 2022 (BC $21.99)
From the winery, “Harvest of our 2022 Ti Amo commenced on September 9th with the Gewürztraminer component followed by the Pinot Gris, Sémillon, Viognier and Chardonnay. This is the first year that we have added Viognier and Chardonnay to the blend. The Viognier contributes lifted and fruit-forward notes and the Chardonnay adds complexity and ageability. The berries were hand harvested, sorted and then gently pressed using a combination of whole cluster and whole berry pressing. The resulting juice was cold settled and racked before the initial fermentation at 12°C for 30 days. Created in the traditional Charmat method, the second fermentation took place in stainless steel before being bottled in March of 2023.”
Appearance: A clear medium-intensity straw plus pear skin colour. Medium-sized bubbles.
Nose: Medium-intensity aromas of bready lees, citrus, and apple.
Palate: Dryish, medium-plus body and flavour intensity. Creamy bubble that has a light mouthfeel. Overall this wine is mouth-filling. Apple and light toastiness to start then add a touch of orange with air.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing off-dry with light pears and toast on the palate.
Rating:
If you are sitting on your patio on BC Day with these wines may I suggest the following foods to enjoy with them? Medium cheddar cheese, goat cheese, tapenade with crispy crackers, dried apricots, seedless green grapes, and spanakopita.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
You can purchase these wines online through the Hester Creek website:
