St. Innocent Pinot Noir Shea

St. Innocent Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard

WHY WE LOVE IT

Shea Vineyard is located in the Yamhill-Carlton District AVA, 35 miles SW of Portland, Oregon.
The Shea Vineyard wines have more aromatic and flavor nuances, balanced acidity, and moderate alcohol.

Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir

Elaboration: The grapes for this wine come from two blocks: Block 6, planted in 1998 with Dijon clone 115 and a small amount of Pommard (11 rows), faces SE slope on a hillside of shallow sedimentary soil at about 450-500′ in elevation. The Terrace Block faces SW, planted in 2002 with the Pommard clone, and gets its name from the terraces carved into its steep slope. The de-stemmed grapes were fermented in 4-8-ton stainless-steel and oak 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: Intense dark aromas of dried flowers, white pepper, dried blackberries and earth. Supple while pervasive flavors of raspberry, black cherry and dried strawberry are intertwined with cola, dark chocolate and ginger root. The ample tannins blend effortlessly with the sweet acidity, fading gently into the finish.

PRESS

2017 – 94 James Suckling | 93 Vinous

2019 – 93+ Vinous

2021 – 95 Decanter | 93 Vinous | 91 James Suckling

2023 – 93 Decanter

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.

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Print Review Shelf Talker (2021 – 93 Vinous)