St. Innocent Pinot Noir Freedom Hill Vineyard
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Freedom Hill is located in the foothills of the coast range 10 miles southwest of Salem, Oregon.
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Elaboration: During the day warm air rises from the valley floor ripening the skins. At night, cool ocean breezes act to retain acidity. Planted on old sedimentary soils, the vines have a SW exposure at an elevation of 520’ to 580’. Our Pinot noir comes from two blocks, one planted in 2004 with Pommard and Wädenswil and one planted in 2008 with 777. The de-stemmed grapes were fermented in 4-8 ton stainless steel fermenters with no SO2, allowing the fermentations to proceed naturally. After gentle pressing and settling, the wine aged in French oak barrels, 21% of which were new, for 16 months before bottling by gravity without fining.
Tasting Notes: The Freedom Hill Pinot Noir is deep ruby-red color. It has a very spice driven nose with dark cherry, plum, and white pepper. The mouth is an explosion of dark fruits, punctuated by bright acidity followed by sweet, savory spices, smoky oak and rich fruit tannins. This is a big wine that will enjoy some time in the glass and hearty dishes. It should also age beautifully.
PRESS
2021 – 94 Vinous
2019 – 94+ Vinous
2018 – 92 Vinous
2017 – 91 Wine Enthusiast
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
St. Innocent Winery was established In 1988 by Mark Vlossak in Jefferson, Oregon. Named after his father, Mark spent five years studying, taking classes, and apprenticing with Oregon wine pioneer, Fred Arterberry in order to produce wines that respect the quality and tradition of the Old World in one of the newest and most exciting wine growing regions on the planet: Oregon’s Willamette Valley.