Stag's Hollow Winery 2013 Heritage Block - 88+pts

Stag's Hollow Winery 2013 Heritage Block (Okanagan Valley) BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here, BCLDB and VQA stores
Cost: $24.99 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 14.2%
Date Tasted: December 1st, 2016

Tasting Notes: Consistent with the sweet'n'smoky bouquet of recent vintages, the 2013 showcases a candied, pipe tobacco nose with cherry, chocolate, spice, licorice and vanilla notes. A cool-berry and spicy-cocoa palate follows with dusty tannins and wild berry acidity. A touch of menthol, iron and dried herbs linger on the moderate palate. Sealed with a screw cap enclosure to ensure freshness and to help preserve the fruit-forward profile. Enjoy this wine now with a fine cut of bloody, lean beef like rare tenderloin, Or, put away a bottle or two for some development. Drink now-2019.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2016 IconWines.ca

Stag's Hollow Winery 2012 Heritage Block - 89-90pts

Stag's Hollow Winery 2012 Heritage Block (Okanagan Falls) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here, BCLDB and VQA stores
Cost: $24.99 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 14%
Production: 2200 cases
Date Tasted: July 11th, 2015

Tasting Notes: One of the best, mid-range, red blends, consistently every year, that opens with sweet'n'smoky berry fruit, spicy chocolate and perfume aromas on the nose. The tasty palate that follows is structured with soft tannins and berry acidity, offering a flavour profile representative of its blend of Bordeaux varieties (49% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Franc, 8.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.5% Malbec and 2.5% Petit Verdot). Look for mixed dark berries, spicy plums, cocoa nibs, vanilla, toasted oak, menthol and dried herbs.

Enjoy this wine now with a fine cut of lean beef like tenderloin, Or, put away a bottle or two for further development. Drink now-2019.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Stag's Hollow Winery 2011 Heritage Block - 90pts

Stag's Hollow Winery 2011 Heritage Block (Okanagan Falls) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here, BCLDB and VQA stores
Cost: $24.99
Alcohol: 13.8%
Production: 1405 cases
Date Tasted: October 9th, 2013

Tasting Notes: Oh, to sit in on a blending session at Stag's Hollow Winery as they craft their always tasty Heritage Block, piece-by-piece, lot-by-lot. The 2011 edition sees 56% Merlot (smoky, mixed berry fruit) and 37% Cabernet Franc (providing the lovely floral and perfumed aromas) supported by 7% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in American and French oak barrels for 18 months. The resulting wine is both fruity and serious with a smooth, sultry textured mid-palate and a long, mouth-watering finish with lingering spice and blackberry flavours.

Many argue that winemaking is a vocation, not an art form. And they may be right, at a high level, but one duty all winemakers perform, the blending, or assemblage, of multiple lots of wines together to make something greater than the sum of its parts, can be performed with such creativity and attention to detail that I can think of no better words to describe it. In the hands of some, blending is an art form and Stag's Hollow is lucky to have winemaker Dwight Sick in residence.

Enjoy this artfully constructed blend now and over the next 3-5 years. Drink 2013-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2013 IconWines.ca

Stag's Hollow Winery 2010 Heritage Block - 89pts

Stag's Hollow Winery 2010 Heritage Block (Okanagan Falls) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here, BCLDB and VQA stores
Cost: $24.99
Alcohol: 14.1%
Production: 875 cases
Date Tasted: May 23rd, 2013

Tasting Notes: The latest edition of the Heritage Block, Stag's Hollow Winery's red Meritage blend is amazingly consistent - almost indignant towards the fluctuating vintage conditions thanks to careful attention during the early parts of the winemaking process where extraction occurs and during the final assemblage which, for 2010, sees 60% Merlot (rich in mixed berry fruit) supported by 23% Cabernet Franc (adding lovely floral and perfumed aromas) and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon (adding tannin structure and overall umph). Aged in American and French oak barrels, the finished wine imbues elements of both with dark chocolate, toasted wood and light spice notes which linger on the the long-ish, balanced finish.

Although a "Bordeaux style" blend, the Heritage Block has always been quite New World-y in its approach to showcasing the rich and vibrant fruitiness of the classic combination of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Thus, the decision to switch to a screw cap enclosure for 2010, which tends to lock-in the fruit characters longer than cork while still supporting the wine's evolution, makes total sense and better positions the wine mid-tier in the winery's portfolio.

Ready to be enjoyed today and over the next 3+ years with careful cellaring. Drink 2013-2016.
  - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2013 IconWines.ca

Stag's Hollow Winery 2007 The Heritage Block - 88-89pts

Stag's Hollow Winery 2007 The Heritage Block (Okanagan Falls) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: BCLDB stores. Direct from winery
Cost: $24.99
Alcohol: 14%
Production: 896 cases
Date Tasted: August 11th, 2010

Tasting Notes: I love the name of this meritage blend of 48% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc. "The Heritage Block" sounds noble and historic. It makes you think of a firm, yet gentle character with proven ideas - an appropriate description of the wine itself.

The prominent, yet rounded tannins are a great backbone to the wine offering sound structure and some aging potential. The nose is delightfully intense with prune, cedar and cherry aromas with just a hint of coffee bean and tobacco notes. The palate offers flavours of cassis, plum, vanilla, spicy oak and leather with bright acidity and a moderate-plus finish with lingering spice. The balance is spot on. This is a fun evening sipper on its own or pair with leaner, grilled meats. Drink 2010-2015.
 - Liam Carrier

Also see:
Stag's Hollow Winery 2009 Sauvignon Blanc