Albariño is championed at Stag's Hollow

Winemaker Keira LeFranc

Keira LeFranc, the winemaker at Stag’s Hollow Winery, clearly is prepared to go to great lengths when she is making a wine. Case in point: her approach to the 2020 Albariño, arguably the best example of this Spanish white yet from Stag’s Hollow. The increasing maturity of the plantings at the Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard, dating from 2011, have something to do with that. But how she handled the fruit was at least as important.

Let me quote the technical specifications: “The fruit hand-picked and hand-sorted, destemmed and lightly crushed before being pressed. A small portion of the fruit was crushed into a picking bin and allowed to ferment spontaneously on the skins for five days before being pressed into a stainless steel tank. Of the pressed juice, a portion was racked after 12 hours of settling into stainless steel barrels and French oak barriques (one new, one 3rd fill and one 4th fill). The remaining portion settled a further 24 hours and was transferred into two concrete tanks. These inoculated ferments were kept cool (12-14◦C), monitored closely; and all were aged on their lees with frequent stirring to build texture. After six months, the lots were blended, stabilized, filtered and bottled.” Why did Keira go to such lengths with this wine? “The goal was to build a richly textural wine that was true to its varietal character, but also complex and intriguing,” she explained. “I think we achieved this.” I would certainly agree.

The first winery to plant Albariño in the Okanagan was Terravista Vineyards. I have not tasted the current release fro Terravista but I always liked earlier vintages. This is a Spanish varietal that clearly suits the Okanagan terroir.

Keira did not quite go to similar lengths when making the Syrah Rosé, which has become something of a trademark rosé with this winery. The hand-picked, destemmed grapes were pressed almost immediately, minimizing maceration to achieve the pale colour of a Provence rosé. The wine was fermented cool (under 13◦C) with selected yeast, to maximize the aromatics.

Here are notes on the wines.

Stag’s Hollow Albariño 2020 ($24 for 403 cases). This is perhaps the best Albariño so far from Stag’s Hollow. Lovely floral aromas mingle with melons and apples. On the palate, there are flavours of stone fruit, lime and lemon. The finish is refreshing, with a lift of bright acidity. 92.

Stag’s Hollow Syrah Rosé 2020 ($24 for 234 cases). The wine begins with aromas of strawberry and watermelon. The savoury, dry palate delivers robust flavours of cherry, plum and watermelon. The hue is light but just enough to give the wine eye appeal in the glass. 90.