2015 St. Huberts The Stag Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast
Tasting Notes
Approachable and for immediate enjoyment, this wine at once offers value and quality and is a lush, fresh expression of North Coast winemaking. The wine expresses freshness of fruit, floral and spice intrigue, complexity in its youth, balance and elegance.
Vineyard & Vintage Notes
The inaugural vintage of The Stag draws on Ryan Rechās expertise working with Cabernet Sauvignon. It explores regions beyond Napa County in Californiaās North Coast that have long been known for winegrowing. The Cabernet Sauvignon came from the Red Hills Lake County American Viticulture Area (AVA) located in the northern Mayacamas Mountains. Vineyard elevations in the Red Hills of Lake County range from 1,350 to 2,600 feet and are exposed to abundant sunshine and greater levels of UV light, resulting in significant tannins and fresh, concentrated wines. Small portions of Merlot from the Alexander Valley AVA and Malbec from the Paso Robles AVA were blended to add softness, texture, spice and floral aromas.
After three years of plentiful harvests, the 2015 vintage brought light, but outstanding yields. The warm, dry spring and summer allowed the fruit to ripen at a steady pace and picking began a few days earlier than 2014. The lasting memory of the 2015 North Coast vintage will be the wildfires that raced across northern Napa County in Lake County. Our Cabernet Sauvignon fruit was unaffected, and the resulting small harvest was exceptional in concentration and color.
Winemaking Notes
Grapes for The Stag receive the meticulous care in the winery to achieve optimal flavor extraction and freshness. During fermentation, lots were monitored daily to achieve ideal maceration and extraction. Following fermentation, short skin contact and gentle pressing, a portion of the young wine went into American oak barrels while the balance remained in stainless steel. The freshest and most aromatic lots were selected to age in stainless steel in order to preserve the delicate freshness. The wine aged for 10 months and was blended just prior to bottling.
Established in 1862 by Hubert de Castella, St. Huberts was named after the Patron Saint of the Hunt - a 7th century nobleman who turned life around after an encounter with a magnificent stag carrying a shining cross between his antlers. St. Huberts was one of the first wineries established in the Yarra Valley and has an enviable history of producing award-winning wines. Just like the noble creature, The Stag tier of wines represents elegance, grace and esteem.
The Stag is inspired by the tale of a hunt when a great stag valiantly jumped to escape its pursuers and mysteriously disappeared into the fog.
Weāre still on that hunt today, to find the sturdiest vines and best grapes throughout the North Coast to produce the most sophisticated wines. This Cabernet Sauvignon is a testament to the pursuit of those goals, and to the fight shown by the resilient stag.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI
St. Huberts The Stag Cabernet Sauvignon
6 bottles for $64.99 $10.83/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $109.99 $9.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2015 St. Huberts The Stag Cabernet Sauvignon - $20 = 15.37%
So an Australian Winery. No mention on the website of anything made in the good olā US of A although it does mention this brand. Ryan Rech is Beringerās lead wine maker it appears. St. Huberts and Beringer are both under the Treasury Wine Estates umbrella. And there are several vintages of this so not a one-off.
@kaolis@rjquillin
Reminds me of serving my father in law a bottle of delicious Italian wine that I was proud to say when asked it only cost $18 delivered. Well iām pretty sure he wanted my wife to divorce me for wasting so much money on a bottle of wine So I guess $15 to $18 is considered a super premium for some people
Like many, I got a notification that I had a pending UPS delivery. I figured it was a case of wine showing up, but when I investigated the tracking number I noticed it was only for four pounds. Woot!, er, Meh! The next day I got an email letting me know Iād be a rat. Then hurricane Isaias hit. I figured UPS wouldnāt make it. Connecticut was expected to get hit with 65 MPH winds, so I couldnāt imagine a big brown truck on the road to bring me wine. But I felt like luck was on my side. My power flickered for a second or two about 20 times, but the lights stayed on even as I saw tree after tree come crashing to the ground in forest around me.
Then I heard honking; UPS had made it up my driveway! I joked to the driver that this must mean my driveway wasnāt blocked by a tree. He said my driveway was fine, though the road was closed just north of my house as a telephone pole was on fire and a tree was blocking the road. Yikes! This guy had the dedication I would have expected of a postal worker! Luck was on my side.
And then it wasnāt. About 15 minutes before the wind died down the power failed and stayed off for good. But this was Tuesday, and the email from Casemates said this wine would go live Saturday. Surely it couldnāt take the grid operator with the third highest rates in the country (next to Hawaii and Alaska) that long to restore power.
I would be wrong. So here is a candlelight review of the The Stag 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon. I didnāt pop the cork on this one, and with no glances at the label I hear āIs this a cab? It smells like a cab. Itās a cab!ā I poured two glasses, one with an aerator doohickey and the other without it. The glass without had a brief smell of alcohol, the one with didnāt. Iāll keep using the aerator! It smells just like Iād expect a cab to smell like.
The first sip is fruity, I get plum. Sometimes a cab can be overpowering, this one isnāt. It has a smooth start and a smooth finish. My meals this week are various leftovers that were in the freezer. Friday night was brown rice with Costcoās finest BBQ shrimp and broccoli. The sauce for the shrimp isnāt really BBQ, but spicy. The wine goes great with this. Despite the spice the wine has great flavor. Itās balanced, dry ā but not puckering. Oak, but not an entire forest of them; those are on my lawn waiting for me to get out the chainsaw.
As an aside I would say this is the perfect cab for people who say they donāt like cabs. That makes me wonder if itās a blend. But rather than give it to them, Iāll take it! My gut tells me this wonāt be available in CT (at least based on how 2020 has treated us so far), if it is Iāll pick up a case (you can tell I wrote this in advance). We said this is probably a $30 bottle retail, with it going for $15-$20 a bottle at a discount place.
Moving on to dessert! For my birthday the other week a friend made Funny Bone cupcakes. If youāre like me, youāve never heard of a Funny Bone before (except that thing you hit, and is the opposite of funny). I would describe them as chocolate covered chocolate Twinkies filled with a peanut butter frosting. The cupcakes were amazing. In a strange happening of the universe, a different friend brought along a box of actual Funny Bones on a boat trip. Since Iāve never had the real thing she gave me a pack. I figured Iād have a chocolate course with the wine. I am guessing all of the super healthy palm kernel oil completely coated my mouth. The sip of wine was completely muted, and all I got were tannins. Iām guessing this would be what Iād get if I paired this with cheese too.
@markgm What a facinating lead in to a great report. Love the pics. Almost felt like I was there. Wine sound delish and so does the funny bone cake. Thank you.
Thankful to have the opportunity to rat again! Donāt have much time so going to get straight to it.
We opened this Cab tonight while (safely) hosting another couple for tabletop pizza oven night. After decanting for an hour, we poured four glasses. All of or notes were very similar, so Iāll summarizeā¦
Initial nose evoked cream and some chocolate.
This cab was uncomplicated. Fruity and not very peppery for a cab.
All participants noted distinct cherry on the back of the palate. Beyond that, there were vague notes of berries and not much more going on.
Very smooth and definitely drinkable now. Tannins present but not too heavy. Donāt think Iād cellar this one.
Despite the lack of complexity, this was a very enjoyable, every-day cab. It paired well with our Neapolitan pizza as well as the pear & goat cheese pizza.
2015 St. Huberts The Stag Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast
Tasting Notes
Vineyard & Vintage Notes
Winemaking Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $240/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI
Estimated Delivery
Monday, August 31st - Wednesday, September 2nd
St. Huberts The Stag Cabernet Sauvignon
6 bottles for $64.99 $10.83/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $109.99 $9.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2015 St. Huberts The Stag Cabernet Sauvignon
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2015 St. Huberts The Stag Cabernet Sauvignon - $20 = 15.37%
Pairs great with chicken and poutine
@InFrom two thumbs up from this Canadian!
So an Australian Winery. No mention on the website of anything made in the good olā US of A although it does mention this brand. Ryan Rech is Beringerās lead wine maker it appears. St. Huberts and Beringer are both under the Treasury Wine Estates umbrella. And there are several vintages of this so not a one-off.
ahhhā¦upon further review:
https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2020/06/16/st-huberts-the-stag-introduces-three-new-central-coast-wines
@kaolis Great article. Thanks.
@kaolis Best quote I foundā¦
looking to compete in the fast-paced Ultra-Premium category of wines
@FritzCat @kaolis More properly, a press release (see the byline).
@kaolis @rjquillin
You didnāt finish the sentence (Ultra-Premium category of wines priced between $15-19.99.)
@kaolis @ScottW58 such a thing even exists?
@kaolis @rjquillin @ScottW58
To rich for my blood! Iām out!
@CorTot @rjquillin @ScottW58 This kind of aligns with the industry but I guess you can make up whatever you want.
https://winefolly.com/lifestyle/reality-of-wine-prices-what-you-get-for-what-you-spend/
@kaolis @rjquillin
So I guess $15 to $18 is considered a super premium for some people 
Reminds me of serving my father in law a bottle of delicious Italian wine that I was proud to say when asked it only cost $18 delivered. Well iām pretty sure he wanted my wife to divorce me for wasting so much money on a bottle of wine
@rjquillin @ScottW58 But did your Chianti rooster fade into the fog like the resilient stag?? I doubt it
@kaolis @rjquillin
Lol
@kaolis @ScottW58 This was in, what, '63?
Like many, I got a notification that I had a pending UPS delivery. I figured it was a case of wine showing up, but when I investigated the tracking number I noticed it was only for four pounds. Woot!, er, Meh! The next day I got an email letting me know Iād be a rat. Then hurricane Isaias hit. I figured UPS wouldnāt make it. Connecticut was expected to get hit with 65 MPH winds, so I couldnāt imagine a big brown truck on the road to bring me wine. But I felt like luck was on my side. My power flickered for a second or two about 20 times, but the lights stayed on even as I saw tree after tree come crashing to the ground in forest around me.
Then I heard honking; UPS had made it up my driveway! I joked to the driver that this must mean my driveway wasnāt blocked by a tree. He said my driveway was fine, though the road was closed just north of my house as a telephone pole was on fire and a tree was blocking the road. Yikes! This guy had the dedication I would have expected of a postal worker! Luck was on my side.
And then it wasnāt. About 15 minutes before the wind died down the power failed and stayed off for good. But this was Tuesday, and the email from Casemates said this wine would go live Saturday. Surely it couldnāt take the grid operator with the third highest rates in the country (next to Hawaii and Alaska) that long to restore power.
I would be wrong. So here is a candlelight review of the The Stag 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon. I didnāt pop the cork on this one, and with no glances at the label I hear āIs this a cab? It smells like a cab. Itās a cab!ā I poured two glasses, one with an aerator doohickey and the other without it. The glass without had a brief smell of alcohol, the one with didnāt. Iāll keep using the aerator! It smells just like Iād expect a cab to smell like.
The first sip is fruity, I get plum. Sometimes a cab can be overpowering, this one isnāt. It has a smooth start and a smooth finish. My meals this week are various leftovers that were in the freezer. Friday night was brown rice with Costcoās finest BBQ shrimp and broccoli. The sauce for the shrimp isnāt really BBQ, but spicy. The wine goes great with this. Despite the spice the wine has great flavor. Itās balanced, dry ā but not puckering. Oak, but not an entire forest of them; those are on my lawn waiting for me to get out the chainsaw.
As an aside I would say this is the perfect cab for people who say they donāt like cabs. That makes me wonder if itās a blend. But rather than give it to them, Iāll take it! My gut tells me this wonāt be available in CT (at least based on how 2020 has treated us so far), if it is Iāll pick up a case (you can tell I wrote this in advance). We said this is probably a $30 bottle retail, with it going for $15-$20 a bottle at a discount place.
Moving on to dessert! For my birthday the other week a friend made Funny Bone cupcakes. If youāre like me, youāve never heard of a Funny Bone before (except that thing you hit, and is the opposite of funny). I would describe them as chocolate covered chocolate Twinkies filled with a peanut butter frosting. The cupcakes were amazing. In a strange happening of the universe, a different friend brought along a box of actual Funny Bones on a boat trip. Since Iāve never had the real thing she gave me a pack. I figured Iād have a chocolate course with the wine. I am guessing all of the super healthy palm kernel oil completely coated my mouth. The sip of wine was completely muted, and all I got were tannins. Iām guessing this would be what Iād get if I paired this with cheese too.
/giphy awesome-omnipresent-mitten
DIPLOMAT! RAT-A-TAT! FAT CAT! AWESOME!
@markgm What a facinating lead in to a great report. Love the pics. Almost felt like I was there. Wine sound delish and so does the funny bone cake. Thank you.
Thankful to have the opportunity to rat again! Donāt have much time so going to get straight to it.
We opened this Cab tonight while (safely) hosting another couple for tabletop pizza oven night. After decanting for an hour, we poured four glasses. All of or notes were very similar, so Iāll summarizeā¦
@smittypap Right to the point. Luv it and the pizzas sound yummy too. Thank you.
FWIW saw the 2016 at supermarket this morning for $18.99