Hester Creek Estate Winery Syrah 2021

Deborah Podurgiel WSET IV Candidate rated this wine as 94/100 with the following review:

Cherries galore! on the 2021 Syrah from Hester Creek Estate Winery. Deep ruby in the glass and spicy with aromas of cracked pepper, baking spice and kirsched cherries, it is dry, medium-plus-bodied and dripping with ripe dark cherry, dark berries, menthol, a hint of fine herbs, dried tobacco leaf and cracked black pepper spice flavours all wrapped up in bright acidity with a long and juuuicy spiced dark cherry finish. Tannins are fine and slightly chalky and while it is incredibly drinkable now, it could easily cellar to 2028. Tasted July 2024 and poured lightly chilled with a grilled bison ribeye and beef spider (oyster) steak.

From the winery: “The 2021 growing season in the South Okanagan was one for the history books as the driest on record, due in large part to the “Heat Dome” and its record-breaking high temperatures. It was also one of the warmest years, seeing the most growing degree days GDD (1758) since 2015.”

After a whole-berry soak for two days, this beautiful Syrah was co-fermented with 7% Viognier in Italian Ganimede tanks, then barrel-aged for 14 months in 60% American and 40% French oak barrels. The wine was bottled in April 2023.