Wine Specs
Harvest Date
October 7-11, 2022
Bottling Date
June 7, 2023
2022 Select Vineyards Merlot
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Our 2022 vintage of Select Vineyards Merlot leads with layered aromas of eucalyptus and sagebrush followed by cherries and earthy cocoa. On the palate, fruit-forward notes of Bing cherry and raspberry soften into a supple finish of chocolate with a hint of herbs. Pair this wine with pizza or spaghetti with a Tuscan-style tomato sauce.
Vineyard Notes
The 2022 season at Hester Creek will be remembered as one of the most challenging, yet productive years. With the addition of new vineyards, the 2022 harvest yielded a larger crop than average. Due to cooler-than-expected spring temperatures and more rain than is typical of the South Okanagan, the season was off to a late start. By summer, temperatures rose and lasted into the autumn, extending the season with the warmest September and October on record. Growing degree days reached 1676 on average. This longer growing season led to longer hang times for the fruit as they developed phenolic ripeness. Harvest began on September 9th with our Ti Amo and finished on December 1st with our Old Vine Cabernet Franc. For the white varietals, longer hang times resulted in delicate aromatics. The red varietals hung on the vine throughout November allowing the grapes to concentrate their colours and flavours. The 2022 vintage will be remembered as a milestone year for producing exceptional, fruit-forward and age-worthy wines.
Winemaker Notes
The fruit for this 2022 vintage was sourced from five vineyards in the South Okanagan including our own estate property on the Golden Mile Bench. The grapes were harvested and sorted by hand before being fermented in our Italian Ganimede fermentation tanks. These unique tanks provide a gentle mixing of the skin and seeds to provide an ideal extraction of colour and tannin before the wine is gently pressed off the skins. After blending the lots, the resulting wine is encouraged through malolactic fermentation then aged for seven months in a combination of French and American oak. The 2022 Select Vineyards Merlot was bottled on June 7, 2023 and has the potential to age gracefully for up to five years.
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