92 point wine review: Hester Creek Cabernet Franc Rosé, Okanagan Valley, BC

Ottawa, ON

September 2026

Matt’s review: Perched high on the Golden Mile Bench in the far south of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, Hester Creek is one of those estates that captures so much of what makes wine country travel special. The wines consistently combine genuine provenance and quality with an appealing sense of accessibility, approachable, food-friendly, fairly priced and reliably delivering terrific value.

It is also a wonderful destination in its own right. The estate offers beautiful villas for those looking to stay among the vineyards while exploring the Okanagan Valley, while its restaurant is reason enough to visit. Add in cooking classes, winery experiences and thoughtfully conceived wine pairings, and there is no shortage of ways to spend time at Hester Creek beyond simply tasting through their impressive portfolio of wines.

The 2025 Rosé, made from 100% Cabernet Franc, is beautifully expressive, bursting from the glass with ripe raspberry, wild strawberry and fresh rhubarb, alongside an especially enticing raspberry-scone character and hints of strawberry-rhubarb pie. There is lovely purity and generosity to the fruit on the nose.

The palate is creamy with more body and texture than many Provençal-inspired rosés, yet it remains wonderfully refreshing. Raspberry and strawberry carry through alongside tart rhubarb, pomegranate and a subtle hint of spice. The wine has a lovely sense of roundness and generosity through the mid-palate, balanced by enough freshness to keep everything lively and composed. That extra dimension of body makes this an exceptionally versatile rosé at the table. Try it with wood-fired pizza, grilled pork with cherry compote, an artisanal charcuterie platter with fruit preserves, or fennel salami and creamy blue cheese. A fantastic option to enjoy alongside Thanksgiving dinners, where its combination of red fruit, freshness and texture will play beautifully with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

A polished, expressive and highly versatile rosé from an estate that continues to offer not only excellent wines, but one of the Okanagan Valley’s most complete wine-country experiences.

Look for it at LCBO in September or winery-direct throughout the year.

Tasted September 2026. 92 points. Matt Steeves – http://www.quercusvino.ca

Coming to LCBO in September 12 2026 and available winery-direct also.