Stag's Hollow releases a new Cachet

Photo: Winemaker Keira LeFranc

The three red wines recently released by Stag’s Hollow Vineyards include a wine labelled Cachet, the rarely-made label signifying only the best of the best. Stag’s Hollow is 25 years old – but this is just the fifth Cachet. It is the first Cachet made by winemaker Keira LeFranc. 2018 was her first full vintage there. It was a vintage so fine that she made six wines suitable for the winery’s top tiers – Renaissance and Cachet.

Keira, who took over from winemaker Dwight Sick, grew up in the Okanagan and got her first taste of the wine industry by working in the Stag’s Hollow tasting room in the summer of 2012. After completing a science degree, she worked the harvest of 2013 at Stag’s Hollow. That confirmed her interest in wine and winemaking. She then spent two years in Australia, training and working as a sommelier before deciding she really wanted to make wine, not just sell it. She returned to Stag’s Hollow to work the 2015 vintage before completing a postgraduate diploma in wine science in New Zealand and then returning permanently to Stag’s Hollow. She is turning out to be an exceptionally versatile winemaker. Stag’s Hollow produces an extensive portfolio that includes Albariño, Teroldego, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Not many winemakers get to work so many wine regions in a single cellar.

Here are notes on the three reds released this fall by Stag’s Hollow.

Stag’s Hollow Merlot 2019 ($24 for 365 cases). This is made with estate-grown grapes; and there is 9% Cabernet Franc in the blend. For the ferment, the winemaker left 75% of the berries whole. The wine finished its ferment in French oak (30% new), where it was aged for 18 months. There is bright berry fruit, both in the aroma and on the palate: cherry, blueberry and cassis. The tannins are long and polished. 90.

Stag’s Hollow Syrah 2019 ($28 for 353 cases). The grapes are from the Amalia Vineyard on the Osoyoos West Bench. The wine begins with aromas of plum, black cherry and pepper. The palate echoes the aromas, with dark fruits lingering on the long finish. 92.

Stag’s Hollow Stag’s Cachet No. 5 2018 ($85 for 108 cases). There are 1,300 elegant, hand-numbered bottles of this superb blend: 47% Syrah, 33% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% each of Viognier and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was aged 18 months in French oak. It begins with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, cassis and pepper. The flavours are quite concentrated: dark fruits mingled with dark chocolate, leather and savoury spice. Decant this wine for current drinking if you do not have the patience to age it another five years. 94.