We are having wonderful summertime sunny weather, and it is a great time to review two BC rosé wines for you. I have Hester Creek Estate Winery’s Rosé Pinot Noir 2025 and Rosé Cabernet Franc 2025. Many people know about rosé wine being made from Pinot Noir grapes, but not too many know that Cabernet Franc also makes an excellent rosé wine, as this post will show.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Hester Creek Estate Winery Rosé Pinot Noir 2025 (BC $27.99)
Winemaker’s notes, “Hester Creek’s Provencial-style 100% Pinot Noir Rosé is a true expression of the South Okanagan. The grapes come exclusively from one vineyard in the south Okanagan where they are grown and harvested to our specifications. On September 15, the grapes were hand harvested, transported to the winery and destemmed that same day. The grapes were then rested for three hours on their skins to extract the defining, yet subtle hue typical of a Provence-style wine. The wine was gently pressed off and cold settled for two days, racked into stainless steel tanks and cool fermented for 30 days. The wine was further aged for over four months in tank before being filtered and then bottled on February 13, 2026.”
Appearance: A clear, bright, medium-intensity salmon colour. Consistent, translucent colour from core to the rim.
Nose: Medium-minus intensity aromas of red fruit and some candied cherries. Lighter aromas after decanting.
Palate: Dry, medium body with a soft mouthfeel. Medium to medium-plus acidity leaves a light prickle on your tongue. Medium-plus intensity flavours of red fruit, raspberries and strawberries, plus some tartness (maybe cranberries) and touches of candied cherries and floral. Light tannins that get stronger on the finish. No change to the aromas or body after decanting.
Finish: Medium-plus length, finishing with red fruit flavours, some tartness, pepperiness and tannic dryness. Lighter flavours and mouthfeel on the finish.
A light rosé wine. No major changes after decanting, so open and enjoy at your leisure.
Rating: 
The Hester Creek Estate Winery Rosé Pinot Noir 2025 shows a bright salmon colour with delicate aromas of red fruit and candied cherry that soften slightly with air. The palate is dry and medium-bodied with a soft texture and fresh acidity, offering flavours of raspberry, strawberry, tart red berries, candied cherry, and subtle floral notes, supported by light tannins. It finishes medium-plus in length with lingering red fruit, tartness, peppery notes, and gentle tannic dryness.
Hester Creek Estate Winery Rosé Cabernet Franc 2025 (BC $22.99)
Winemaker’s notes, “Our unique Rosé is made from 100% Cabernet Franc grapes that were sourced from growers in the South Okanagan. The grapes were hand harvested at the end of September. Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were destemmed and then underwent a short maceration of three days to bring out the iconic hue of this Hester Creek favourite. Once crushed, the wine was cold settled and racked into stainless steel for a slow cool fermentation of 25 days. The winemaker was careful to leave a small amount of residual sugar to ensure a luscious mouthfeel…”
Appearance: Medium intensity, clear, bright cherry with a translucent colour consistent from the rim to the core.
Nose: This wine has medium intensity aromas of raspberries, roses, candied cherries, and rhubarb. The rose component goes away after decanting.
Palate: Dry, medium-plus body with a round, thicker mouthfeel. Medium to medium-plus acidity, leaving a medium acidic prickle in your mouth. Rhubarb, raspberries, red fruits, and some candied cherries. Sweet fruitiness. Peppery mid-palate to the finish. Light tannins. No change to the body or flavours after decanting.
Finish: A long length, finishing with rhubarb, raspberry, and red fruit flavours, plus a hint of floral. More peppery on the finish. Maybe a bit tarter on the finish, and the length is a tad shorter.
A nice rosé, fuller bodied, with bright acidity, rhubarb, and red fruit aromas and flavours.
Rating: 
The Hester Creek Estate Winery Rosé Cabernet Franc 2025 shows a bright cherry hue with aromas of raspberry, rose, candied cherry, and rhubarb, with the floral note fading after decanting. The palate is dry and medium-plus in body with a round, thicker texture, offering rhubarb, raspberry, red fruit, and candied cherry flavours supported by fresh acidity, light tannins, and a pleasing fruitiness. It finishes long with lingering rhubarb, raspberry, and red fruit notes, accented by floral hints and a peppery character that becomes more pronounced toward the end.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
Both wines are available for purchase from the Hester Creek website:
The Cabernet Franc Rosé is available at Everything Wine stores. Both rosé wines are available at BC Liquor stores.
