I have two red blends from BC’s Hester Creek Estate Winery. Both show off ripe fruit flavours and are smooth and round, with fine-grained tannins, that I think would be easy to enjoy over the holidays with appetizers or main courses. The two wines are the Hester Creek Estate Winery Cabernet Merlot 2022 and their Character Red 2022, a blend of Petit Verdot, Malbec, Syrah and a clone of Italian Merlot. These two red wines are not yet listed on Hester Creek’s website but should show up soon. Let me tell you about them.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Hester Creek Estate Winery Character Red 2022 (Their 2021 is listed at BC $22.99)
Appearance: A deep, almost opaque, ruby colour that is slightly dull. About 95% opaque.
Nose: Medium-intensity aromas with a range of red crunchy berries, cranberries, ripe black plums, and touches of violets, oak and black pepper. All black fruit, no red fruit or cranberry aromas after decanting.
Palate: Dryish, smooth and soft with a light, lean mouthfeel that opens up and gets a bit rounder with air. Floral, red and ripe black fruits, plums, and black cherries flavours. The acidity makes bright fruit flavours. Light-plus tannins that get firmer toward the finish. A hint of capsicum with air. Add violets and blueberry flavours and drop capsicum after decanting.
Finish: A medium-plus to long length finishing with plums, red fruit, and floral followed by black pepper. Medium tannins on the finish and a light mouth-feel. Floral and black fruit on the finish after decanting and no red fruit flavours.
A wine with a wide variety of fruit aromas and flavours. Moves to dark fruit aromas and flavours after decanting.
Rating: 
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A deep ruby-coloured wine. Medium-intensity aromas of red fruits, black plums, floral, oak and black pepper. This wine is dryish, smooth with a soft, light, lean mouthfeel. Floral, red and ripe black fruit flavours. Bright acidity and light tannins. Medium-plus length.
Hester Creek Estate Winery Cabernet Merlot 2022 (Their 2021 is listed at BC $21.99)
Appearance: A deep, clear to the core garnet colour.
Nose: Light cinnamon, red fruit, and plum aromas. Even lighter aromas after decanting. The cinnamon aroma transitions to nutmeg and you can add some dark fruit scents.
Palate: Dry, medium-plus body with a soft, round, thicker, mouth-filling feeling. Light acidity and medium intensity, fine-grained tannins. Ripe plums, black fruit, floral flavours with touches of blueberries, oak, and pepperiness. Add cinnamon with some air. The acidity moves up to medium after decanting and you can add violet and nutmeg flavours, and the pepperiness disappears.
Finish: A medium to medium-plus length finishing with a blend of sweet and tart red and black fruit flavours, touches of oak, floral, pepperiness and medium-intensity tannins. Add nutmeg to the finish after decanting and drop pepperiness.
A bigger wine but quite smooth with dark fruit flavours and light tannins. Easy to enjoy. No need to decant.
Rating: A deep, clear garnet colour. Light aromas of cinnamon, red fruit and plums. Dry, medium-plus body, soft, round with a thicker mouth-feel. Ripe plums, black fruit and floral flavours primarily. Light acidity and medium tannins. Medium to medium-plus length.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
The 2021 vintages of these wines are available on the Hester Creek website. Watch for the 2022 vintages. Both 2021 vintage wines are also at select Save On Foods stores and at Everything Wine.
