Great Northwest Wine’s 2023 British Columbia Winery of the Year continues to wow West Coast critics with its Viognier program. Mark Hopley earned a gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle for the 2021 vintage, and he pulled down one of the few Platinums our panel awarded to the finicky white Rhône grape in 2023. This bottling from Hester Creek’s Storied Series was harvested Oct. 3-4 off two vineyards near Oliver — Stone’s Throw and Pandher Farms — and it opens with tropical fruit aromas, honeydew melon and citrus rind. There’s a bit of roundness on the entry with mango, which is followed by ripe stone fruit that’s ahead of a finish which brings salinity and melon rind. Suggested pairings include seafood and a mild Szechuan sweet pepper/tofu stir fry. Qualifying awards: Cascadia International (best of class/double gold)
Rating: Platinum • 91 points
Production: 654 cases
Alcohol: 12.4%
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