News: Stag's Hollow Sold to Investor

From the Stag's Hollow media announcement:

Okanagan Falls, BC: Stag’s Hollow Winery & Vineyard has been purchased by a local, private investor. This person is well vested in the Okanagan and in the BC wine industry, owning vineyards in Summerland, the Similkameen and Bench 1775 Winery on the Naramata Bench. As a new and separate venture, business will continue as it has at Stag’s Hollow, with founders Larry Gerelus and Linda Pruegger managing the winery moving forward. Plans this spring, to complete the planting at our Shuttleworth Creek Vineyards with a highly-prized Pinot Noir clone, will continue, together with the ongoing objective to focus on realizing the premium potential of wines made from our Okanagan Falls terroir.

About Stag’s Hollow Winery & Vineyard: Stag’s Hollow Winery, in Okanagan Falls, was founded in 1995 by Larry Gerelus and Linda Pruegger. It produces some of British Columbia’s highest quality, most distinctive wines. Always innovative, with a spirit to be unique and push the limits of both grape growing and winemaking in the Okanagan, the team at Stag’s Hollow has researched and sought out grapes, both new and old, suited to the area soils and microclimate. These include Tempranillo and Albariño from Spain, and Dolcetto and Teroldego from Italy. These unique varietals offer a new experience for the Okanagan wine lover. Although these grapes come from all over the world, wines we produce from these grapes are identifiable, as being from nowhere else in the world but from the Okanagan Falls sub-GI, in the   Okanagan Valley.

At the request of the new owner, a more public announcement will not be made.

Media Contact:

Erin Korpisto

Sales & Marketing Manager, Stag’s Hollow Winery

Email:     erin@stagshollowwinery.com

Phone:     250-497-6162

Some of Stag's Hollow Winery's newest releases:

Stag's Hollow Winery 2018 Blanc de Noirs - $25
An off-dry blend of 76% Pinot Noir and 24% Gamay Noir with medium-plus body, texture to spare and a clean, crisp finish. A flavour profile of fresh-off-the-tree peaches and hot apple crumble show on the delicate nose and the well-balanced palate.
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Stag's Hollow Winery 2018 - $20
Opens with an exotic nose of papaya, candied peach, kiwi, melon andcitrus aromas followed by a textural palate with a juicy, melon fruit-driven entry and a mineral-kissed, mouth-watering, crisp finish. Coming into its own with maturing vines and a maturing fermentation/elevage program in the winery.
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Stag's Hollow Winery 2018 Syrah Rosé - $22
Expressive rosé with a hint of residual sugar nicely balanced by fresh, but never overwhelming acid. Flavour profile will remind you of Provence with lifted, red fruit, a touch of minerals and a supporting, savoury backbone. Finish is a tad short compared to previous, stellar years - more of a reflection of their high standards.
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2013 Icon Wine of the Year

2013 was another amazing year for wines with the proof showing in our Top 25 Icon Wines of the Year list. I'm confident every bottle on that list would satisfy even the most demanding of palates out there. However, there is always one wine which stands-out from its peers and remains imprinted in my mind's palate indefinitely, and for 2013 this wine is:

Stag's Hollow Winery 2010 Cachet No. 03
49% Tempranillo, 43% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon
$50 - 55 cases - 14%
93+pts - Icon Score

Congratulations to our runner-ups for this year's Icon Wine of the Year award: the 99-point Silverback Vineyards 2011 Reserve Syrah and the sublime JoieFarm 2011 "En Famille" Reserve Gewurztraminer. Sadly, all three of our finalists for 2013 are in short supply and may take a bit of effort to get a hold of, though, your persistence will pay off.

The Wine
Produced under Stag's Hollow's premier Cachet Wines label reserved for special, one-off blends, that represent the very best of each vintage. The humbly named "No. 03", the third such wine to receive the designation, is a blend of 49% Tempranillo, 43% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose is pure delight with loads of sweet, smoky fruit aromas and fragrant perfume notes; a truly sexy developing bouquet. The palate is fluid, medium-plus bodied, yet intense and powerful with layers of ripe plum and blackberry fruit mixed with exotic spices and savoury characters. The finish is long and balanced and beckons your continued attention.

The Story
As the story goes, during a busy day in the winery during harvest, proprietor and part-time forklift driver, Larry Gerelus, accidentally combined fruit from the Tempranillo bloc with the grapes picked from rows 1-4 of their home vineyard Merlot and chaos ensued. However, from chaos comes clarity and thus the fortuitous decision to live with the mistake and see what happens was made. With some later tweaking, via the addition of 8% Cabernet Sauvignon to help add some structure to the otherwise, middleweight wine, the extraordinary finished product more than made-up for Larry's 'mistake'... and the rest, as they say, is history.

Stag's Hollow Winery has long been a producer of some of the Province's most inventive and challenging wines and Cachet No. 03 is the winery's (current) highpoint - a proclamation to the rest of Canada that something special is going on in Okanagan Falls.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2013 IconWines.ca

Great Grenache

In honour of International Grenache Day on Friday, September 20th, we pay tribute to the unsung hero of the wine world, with an exploration of Grenache based wines coming out of the Okanagan Valley in recent years via Okanagan Falls producer, Stag's Hollow. As well, we offer up a few selections from traditional Grenache-producing regions around the world.

Stag's Hollow Winery has been trending towards Rhone Valley inspired wines for a number of years now. With the release of BC's first-ever 100% Grenache wine, this 'trend' has become more of a full-on devotion. The new release, sourced from vineyards in Penticton and Cawston during the hot 2012 vintage, shows that Grenache is viable in the Okanagan Valley when the site of the vineyard has been appropriately selected and the vintage conditions oblige the sun-loving grape. Future releases, not matching this select criteria, will go a long way to proving Grenache's long-term viability in the Okanagan Valley. Time will tell.

Below are our notes on Stag's Hollow's recent wines exploring the many facets of Grenache's personality.

A Solo Act

Stag's Hollow Winery 2012 Grenache - $29
Drinking this Grenache is pure joy. Brimming with layers of aromatic flowers, sweet spice and a medley of ripe, red fruit aromas on the sensual and feminine nose. The palate offers amazing continuity - the wine truly tastes like it smells - rich, feminine and complex with concentrated red fruit creating the perception of light sweetness through to the long, balanced, rounded finish.
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The Blending Partner

Stag's Hollow Winery 2009 Cachet No. 02 - $50
Released under Stag's Hollow's premier label, Cachet Wines, this beautiful Grenache-Syrah blend opens with a feminine nose of crushed violets, potpourri, dried cranberry, spiced oak and sweet red fruit. The complex and intense palate needs more time in the bottle for the rich red fruit, savoury characters, bright berry acidity and fine tannin elements will meld together further and evolve as expected over the next 2 years.
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Grenache Blanc

Stag's Hollow Winery 2011 GVM - $28
Consisting of  63% White Grenache, 22% Viognier and 15% Marsanne, this charming wine offers a subtle nose layered with citrus fruit, savoury herbs and Asian pear aromas. The palate explodes with a textural battle between the mouth watering effects of fresh acidity and the mouth coating qualities of rich tropical fruit and light tannins.
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Around The World

Domaine Saint-Damien 2010 Côtes du Rhône Vieilles Vignes - $22
Opening with a pungent and powerful nose of meaty, forest floor this fabulous Côtes du Rhône gem may overload the sense of some wine drinkers. However, those willing to to be patient with the wine to open up and then venture forth will be handsomely rewarded.
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Xavier Vins 2009 Gigondas - $32-36
Gigondas, from the wine buyer's expectations perspective, should fit somewhere between quality Côtes du Rhône and entry-level Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and the Xavier offering fits the bill. A masculine Gigondas with spicy garrigue, cedar, dried plum, berry fruit and loads of river stone mineral aromas.
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Château de Beaucastel 2009 Chateauneuf-du-Pape - $90
An unmistakable Chateauneuf expression of concentrated, rich dark fruit, warm rock, garrique and tobacco characters. The opulent, ripe fruit is balanced nicely with crisp acidity and presented in the ultra-fine, silky smooth manner we expect from the iconic Château.
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Cellar Besllum 2008 Montsant - $20
Mustn't forget the lovely Grenache of Spain where the grape is known as Garnacha. This offering, a blend of equal parts Carignan and Garnacha, has plenty of character on the layered nose and smooth palate. Smoke, cured meats, strawberry, cranberry and leather make up an eclectic mix of aromas for the developed bouquet. The dry palate will open up beautifully when decanted properly, producing an array of flavours, similar to the nose, with added bitter chocolate, ripe red fruit and savoury spice notes.
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 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2013 IconWines.ca

Get To Know... Dwight Sick

Dwight Sick
Vintner, Stag's Hollow Winery
Okanagan Falls, BC
www.stagshollowwinery.com

Comparitively speaking, Dwight Sick is late to the world of winemaking having first spent parts of three decades in another vocation before entering the BC wine industry. But man, has he caught-up quickly. Stag's Hollow Winery may be hidden from the highway and out-of-sight from the casual Okanagan wine tourist too easily drawn to the Corporate-backed traps, but they are fast becoming a top Canadian boutique winery and helping to put Okanagan Falls on the map. Dwight's impressive consistency dealing with vintage variation and changing consumer palates has gone a long way to making Stag's Hollow a reliable selection in the wine shop, year-in, year-out.

Get to know Dwight a bit better and get to know Stag's Hollow Winery's wines...

Key wines to try:
Heritage Block 2007, 2008, 2010
Cabernet Franc 2009, 2010
Syrah Rosé 2009, 2011, 2012

1. What do you enjoy most about making wine?

The constant and ever changing challenges that each vintage presents. They keep me sharp and honest when it comes to winemaking. I think when I reach the point that I feel that I have seen it all, I will want to quite winemaking.

2. What inspired you to become a winemaker?

Truthfully? I was working in the airline industry prior to my starting in the wine industry and I hated it. I spent my last ten years working there searching for a way out and then one day I realized that the answer was right in front of me. I live in the heart of wine country, I have a strong interest in sciences, I have a strong palate and sensory skills, and I have numerous friends that work in the wine industry around the world. It was then that I spent the next 4 years repositioning my career and when a 'golden handshake' opportunity presented itself to leave the airline industry, I dove head into the wine industry.

3. What causes you the most stress during harvest?
Actually, very little stresses me during harvest. I love vintage. I have come to expect the unexpected during vintage and as such, I have learned to roll with it and not sweat the small stuff. Pet peeves during vintage? Running out of coffee beans first thing in the morning pre ferment punchdowns and when we run out of beer to drink during the end of the day crushpad clean up and nobody has told me that we need to get more of either.

4. What is your favourite and/or least favourite wine cliché?

Least fav line / Wines made with passion... They all are or at least they all should be. Fav line / ??? Wine, it is not just for drinking at breakfast...

5. Away from the cellar and vineyard, what’s your greatest passion in life?
My family. After 24 years of marriage, I am proud to say that my wife is still my best friend. We have 3 daughters, 1 son in law, and a grandson together. Sunday family dinners are a highlight of our week.

6. After a long day of work in the cellar, what do you turn to for refreshment?
There is nothing better for me than a few hours of riding on my mountain bike to rejuvenate my mind set, and pump up my energy levels. Post ride, you will often find me sipping a 'recovery' beer which will most likely be a Hefeweizen of some sort.

7. If you could take credit for one other BC wine on the market today, which would it be and why?

There are several that I wish I could say I had made. The world class bubbles from Blue Mountain, the intense dry Rieslings from Tantalus, the perfectly balanced rich Rhone white blends from Moon Curser....

8. Of the wines in your portfolio, do you have a favourite food pairing to go with one of the wines?

Although our Tempranillo based wines are relatively new in our portfolio, they have become my current favourite. Their tarry, smokey nose and palate, with medium firm tannins, and vibrant juicy fruit make food pairings with them endless. A shredded slow cooked BBQ shoulder of pork with lots of homemade BBQ sauce was our latest paring. I'm super excited about our 2010 Cachet No.3 and 2011 Tempranillo which will be released later this summer.

9. What do you think will be the next big trend in BC wine over the next few years?
We will see more of everything. Diversity in wines will be what the Okanagan will become known for. Can we make world class Syrah, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Viognier, Albariño, Merlot, and Gamay? Sure we can. You just have to find the right site, find the right micro climate, plant the right varieties in the right spots, and farm the site right.... easy right?

10. Screwcap or cork? What’s your preference?

Both and then some others as well. Every wine has a closure that will perform best for it. We are currently using both and I don't plan on that changing anytime soon.

 -  Liam Carrier ©copyright 2013 IconWines.ca

Stag's Hollow Winery's 2012 Releases

Okanagan Falls' Stag's Hollow Winery has recently released a new slate of wines for the Fall season, a mixture of white and red wines from the previous 3 vintages. The wines were presented at Lift Restaurant and Bar to media and trade with the wines already available on their website and soon to grace the menus of BC restaurants and wine shop shelves.

2011 Sauvignon Blanc - $19.99 (750ml) $427.00 (keg)
Both the bottle and Key Keg versions of this wine were poured for comparison. Both show major grassy characters while subtle, tropical fruit notes compliment the austere mineral elements. Not rated.

2010 Viognier - $21.99
A textured, rich and creamy example of the Rhone Valley varietal resulting from French oak barrel fermentation and extensive lees contact. 89pts
Full Review

2011 GVM - $27.99
Unfortunately, this wine suffered from being served in an open-nosed, goblet-style restaurant glass which made the muted aromatics harder to perceive. First impression is that this vintage is not as stunning as the 2010, yet, remains an intriguing blend of 63% Grenache, 225 Viognier and 15% Marsanne. 2nd impression needed.
Full Review - coming soon


2010 Renaissance Pinot Noir - $35.00
Only the 3rd vintage of Pinot Noir over the past 10 years to be elevated to the winery's reserve tier Renaissance - very appropriate as 2010 has produced some amazing Pinot Noir in the Okanagan Valley. A great entry for the premium Pinot market with a complex, round nose of sweet red fruit and warm, earthy notes. Not a Pinot for the faint of heart! 90+pts
Full Review

2011 Renaissance Sauvignon Blanc - $24.99
Despite the 100% barrel fermentation in new oak with active lees stirring, the wine never feels heavy or overdone while the lees adds complexity in the form of sweet brioche notes on the nose. Citrus, crisp, steely with nice minerality on the finish. 89pts
Full Review

2011 Con-Fusion - $17.99
An off-dry blend of 46% Gewurztraminer, 35% Semillon, 8% Muscat, 7% Sauvignon Blanc, 3% Chardonnay and 1% Viognier which focuses on offering fruity-fun in a bottle. In the past, the Con-Fusion was a tad sweet for food pairing beyond spicy Asian food, but for 201 the unctuousness has been dialed back from "11" which will make it a nice companion to many more foods. 87pts

2010 Cabernet Franc - $27.99
This is a wine that stays with you and, upon reflection, was my favourite wine of the tasting. Builds nicely on the success of the 2009 with a turn towards more acidity for 2010 but remains effortlessly in balance. A great example of cool-climate Cabernet Franc with endless spice on the long finish. 90-91pts

2009 Heritage Block - $24.99
Stag's Hollow has moved towards an homage of Bordeaux's Right Bank for 2009 with a Merlot and Cab Franc heavy blend which delivers ripe blue fruit and berry aromas and flavours. An extra year in the bottle makes this wine stand-out from the winery's other new red wine releases - it is ready to go now and makes a competitive entry into the mid-tier, Bordeaux blend market in BC (think Fairview's Two Hoots and Osoyoos Larose's Petales). 89pts

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon - $27.99
This sku is always the one piece of the Stag's Hollow line-up that doesn't seem to quite fit. Cabernet Sauvignon is not a signature grape of Okanagan Falls (think "all things Pinot" as per winemaker Dwight Sick recently when discussing his view on what OK Falls should be known for) and the variety is notoriously hard to ripen in the Okanagan Valley with only a few vineyards consistently producing ripe, robust Cabernet grapes. The Stag's Hollow Cabernet makes the most of its cool climate pedigree with a well structured palate and nice, spicy/herbal elements but it fails to deliver the concentrated ripe dark fruit characters that we crave and may be best served as a blending component for its other wines. 87pts

2010 Syrah - $27.99
Pure white pepper delight on the nose and palate with more integrated tannins and a more subtle approach all-round than the powerhouse 2009; reflective of the cooler temperatures and longer growing season of 2010. 8.5% co-fermented Viognier adds depth and a feminine touch. 90pts

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

What's in Your Cellar, Dwight?

Photo courtesy Stag's Hollow Winery

Dwight Sick
Stag's Hollow Winery
Winemaker
stagshollowwinery.com

Dwight's passion for France's Rhone Valley is demonstrated by the selection of wines he's chosen to cellar over the years and by sampling the wines he's expanded Stag's Hollow's portfolio with. Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne and Grenache have all made appearances as blends or as single varietal releases in the Okanagan Falls winery's wine shop in recent years, with more to come.

Q - What are your favourite wine regions to cellar/collect?
Northern Rhone (Syrah, Marsanne), Priorat (Grenache), Bandol (Mourvedrre both rose and red wines)

Q - What is the purpose of your wine cellar/collection?
Quite simply it is to share. The act of sharing unique wines from the cellar with my friends and being able to exchange thoughts about this experience usually exceeds the actual act of drinking the wine.

Q - Is there a jewel of note or a favourite wine in your collection?
A bottle of 1966 Taylor Vintage Port which was my birth year. Not sure when to drink it yet.

Q - How do you store your collection?
I live in an old heritage orchard home in Penticton. The house has a half basement in concrete with the remaining half being a dirt crawl space. The crawl space occupies the entire north side of the side basement and has been transformed into a make shift wine cellar that can house roughly 300 bottles. The humidity and temperature remain surprising constant in this environment.

Q - Was there a particular bottle or region of wine that was the impetus of starting your collection?
Australia and a bottle of 1986 Grange. It was the year that my first daughter was born. Prior to winemaking, I worked for 19 years as a flight attendant. One of my key routes to work was the South Pacific and it allowed me to spend a substantial amount of time exploring Australia wines.

Q - What causes you to actually pull the trigger on a special bottle from your cellar?
Most of the special bottles that I have drunk have been totally unplanned and usually involved good friends that randomly dropped in. There is nothing better than a Tuesday night special bottle.

Q - What have you learned about wine from starting your collection?
We are a small fish in a big ocean. Explore wine. The wines of the world offer endless expressions of varietal character and of site terroir.

Q - Would perusing your wine cellar offer any insight into you as a person?
I'm not sure if it is my cellar but is there a wine out there that is perhaps a little bit rough around the edges, is driven and focused, and is always looking to improve vintage after vintage?

Q - Any general comments about building a collection?
March to your own drummer and follow your own palette. Regardless of what others may think about a wine, it is important to believe in your own personal preferences.

Q - What advice would you share to anyone wanting to start a collection of wine?
The most important thing to remember about wine is to not take it too seriously, after all it is just booze. Enjoy the moment as much as the wine.

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

Rosé Elevated

Sales for rosé wines are on the rise yet sadly too many wine drinkers still associate blush wines as either overly feminine or unsophisticated (the later excuse being ripe with sexist undertones). Personally, I am not afraid to say that I love rosé wines and don't think twice about ordering it in a restaurant in plain sight of other patrons. Does this mean I'm more in-touch with my feminine side or more comfortable with my masculinity? No, of course not. To say 'yes' would be to lend credence to the concept that the light cherry, cranberry or salmon coloured wines are exclusively feminine to begin with. I simply enjoy the unique body, texture and refreshing qualities a good rosé can offer and I hope to encourage others to put aside their prejudices and explore its wonderful ability to pair with (nearly) all foods.

Decent, satisfying and food-friendly rosé wines are produced all over BC but three producers have managed to elevate its production to an art form. The much anticipated release and quick sell-out of said wines speaks to the quality that consumers have grown accustomed to from Stag's Hollow, Tinhorn Creek and JoieFarm, the latter perhaps being the most responsible for the style's rebirth at the till.

Partially, what makes these three wines so special is the fact that all are planned, not happened upon. There is no "well, this Cabernet block is crap and under ripe, maybe we can make a rosé out of it" conversation at these wineries. But rather they ask, "What will make our rosé better this year?"

Stag's Hollow Fall Releases

Above the sleepy town and a short drive from Highway 97 you'll find a few wineries nestled together up in the hidden valley and slopes of Okanagan Falls including Stag's Hollow who have recently released their latest crop of wines for the Fall.

Stag's Hollow's wine list includes both reliable single varietal and blends plus experimental small-lot one-offs to keep the collection fresh and intriguing. This Fall we're treated to some returning champions and the latest expression of winemaker Dwight Sick's love for everything Rhone.

2010 Simply Noir - $20
Your dinner party shopping list is complete with this unique blend of 38% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc and 30% Pinot Noir with the Merlot providing dark berry flavours and tannin structure, the Cab Franc providing flashy, aromatic character and the Pinot Noir rounding-out and lightening the palate creating a softer entry and contributing welcomed spice.
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2010 Viognier - $22
A textured, rich and creamy example of the Rhone Valley varietal resulting from French oak barrel fermentation and extensive lees contact.
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2009 SHV Pinot Noir - $25
The fruit aromas are accompanied by savoury, earthy notes of mushrooms, forest floor and smoke creating a developing bouquet that deserves time to evolve in the glass before drinking.
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2010 GVM - $28
Winemaker Dwight Sick continues his love affair with all things Rhone with the small lot GVM release. A blend of a blend of 66% Grenache Blanc, 23% Viognier and 11% Marsanne reminiscent of white Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
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2009 Cabernet Franc - $28
Another excellent Cabernet Franc release from the exception 2009 vintage which seems to have been ideal for this Bordeaux varietal. The balance is spot on with good acidity and a long finish with lingering Cab Franc funk and a plash of spice.
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 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2011 IconWines.ca

Introducing Cachet Wines

What were you doing on September 24, 2010? If the answer wasn't "enjoying a lovely glass of Grenache" then you likely missed International Grenache Day altogether or, perhaps, you simply didn't partake in the celebration of one of the world's most over-looked grapes due to the limited selection of Canadian wines with Grenache in the lead or even amongst the blend. Stag's Hollow Winery has a new line of exceptional wines that will solve this problem for BC and Alberta residents in preparation of the 2011 Grenache-lauding festivities.

The winery, based in Okanagan Falls, has given winemaker Dwight Sick full creative freedom to express his inner Spanish and Rhone Valley-self in the form of two small lot wines that have been released under the branding of Cachet Wines. Each release, and every subsequent release, will be identified numerically.

I had the pleasure of barrel sampling the first two releases in October but have yet to taste the finished product, now bottled and available directly from Stag's Hollow here.

2008 Limited Edition No. 1 - $49.90
A "Super-Duero", if you will, blend of 40% Tempranillo, 35% Merlot, 20% Syrah and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. A fine example of constructing a unique taste out of different components and techniques. Showed fairly 'butch' in the barrel (American Oak), yet had elements of refinement and was oh-so tasty! 250 half-cases available (6X750ml).

2009 Limited Edition No. 2 - $49.90
A blend of 50% Grenache, 46% Syrah, 3% Viognier and 1% Marsanne is Dwight Sick's take on the many blends on offer in the Southern Rhone. A special wine with layers of complex aromas and flavours that delivers wide-ranging, Carmenere-like food pairing options. There's simply nothing else like it on the market today, a true original. Restaurants may be stocking up so you'll have to act quickly if you want a fantastic, Canadian-grown wine for the next International Grenache Day. Only 80 half-cases available (6X750ml).
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2011 IconWines.ca

Barrel Tasting at Stag's Hollow

On October 3rd I visited winemaker Dwight Sick at his picturesque Okanagan Falls winery Stag's Hollow. The scene from the cellar door is of a beautiful hidden green valley with sloping vineyards twisting this way and that. Down the slope, below the cellar is a steep bowl in which grows one of the only Tempranillo plantings in BC. The fruit from this block, as well as the product from a Grenache plot in a vineyard near Penticton, go into blends that Dwight described as "keeping the winemaker happy" wines. I would call them two of the most unique wines soon to be released in BC (target is currently December). They can be pre-ordered here.

2008 Tempranillo Blend "Limited Edition" No. 01 - $50
A "Super-Douro", if you will, blend of 40% Tempranillo, 35% Merlot, 20% Syrah and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. A fine example of constructing a unique taste out of different components and techniques. Fairly butch, yet refined and fun. Only 250 half-cases available (6X750ml).

2009 Grenache Blend "Limited Edition" No. 02 - $50
A blend of 50% Grenache,  46% Syrah, 3% Viognier and 1% Marsanne is Dwight's take on the many blends on offer in the Southern Rhone. A truly special wine with layers of complex aromas and flavours that delivers Carmenere-like food pairing options. (Restaurants should be stocking up!) Only 80 half-cases available (6X750ml).

We also tasted the components to a few 2009 vintage reds still in barrel: the Syrah/Viognier, the Estate Merlot and the SHV Pinot Noir. Both the Syrah and Merlot will typify the bold fruit character and ripe tannins of the hot 2009 growing season. The Pinot is produced with the appropriate let-the-land-speak approach but I was left not knowing what it was trying to say...yet. The Pinot needs more time to find its voice. All three will be released next year. Keep a look out for release dates from the winery - especially for the Syrah!

One last preview that we tasted was the new fully-oaked Renaissance-level 2009 Chardonnay which will be replacing the estate grown "2008 SHV Chardonnay". The 2009 is positive step forward from their current Chardonnay which I found to be "a nice drink" but lacked the winemaker's signature that the 2009 will have. Look for its release next Spring.
 - Liam Carrier

Reviews coming soon:
Stag's Hollow 2008 SHV Pinot Noir
Stag's Hollow 2008 Simply Noir

Current releases available:
Stag's Hollow Winery 2007 The Heritage Block
Stag's Hollow Winery 2008 Syrah
Stag's Hollow Winery 2008 SHV Chardonnay