Hester Creek 2022 The Judge Red Blend 750ml

With the addition of new vineyards, the 2022 harvest produced a larger-than-average crop that started late. A warm summer and a long, pleasant fall resolved most vineyard issues. The winery calls the 2022 vintage a milestone year for creating exceptional, fruit-forward, and age-worthy wines. The Judge is crafted from old vines dating back to 1968, despite the final ’24 freeze outcome, and in 2022, it truly shines. Winemaker Mark Hopley has been refining the blend, oak regimen, and overall freshness of the wine, with its silky texture perhaps its best attribute. The grapes are carefully sorted, cold soaked, and fermented in separate lots in specialised Italian tanks designed to gently extract the perfect level of flavour. The latest blend includes 47% merlot, 34% cabernet franc, 17% cabernet sauvignon, 1% petit verdot, and 1% malbec, aged 24 months in French oak. A merlot and cabernet franc blend is the key to success in the South Okanagan, and with even less cabernet sauvignon this year, the wine is even better. Fresher, tighter, with refined black fruit, cocoa, savoury dried spices, and cedar all coming together to create a polished symphony. The Judge continues to elevate its status among the top reds in BC.

Score: 92 points -- Anthony Gismondi, gismondionwine.com, 2025