ONE OF OREGON’S BEST

One of Oregon’s most dearly loved estates, Mark Vlossak’s iconic St. Innocent winery has an unmatched record for producing excellent –and extremely fair priced – single vineyard Pinot Noir. Today we’re offering one of his best, the 2016 Shea Vineyard.

2016 was a glorious vintage for Oregon, providing outstandingly lush, early-drinking wines with fabulous aromatics. No surprise, Mr. Vlossak produced a stellar range of Pinots that are true to his long-established style – one that emphasizes balance and fruit intensity, without excess weight.

Mr. Vlossak believes the wine he produces from Shea vineyard are the most complex and detailed wines he makes. We agree – Shea carries a depth, detail and a transparency that is simply riveting. The vineyard itself is located in the Yamhill-Carlton District AVA, thirty-five miles Southwest of Portland. The grapes (almost entirely Pommard clone) come from two blocks, “Block 6” and “The Terrace Block”, both of which are situated on fairly steep hillsides on shallow sedimentary soils. For 2016, the yield from Shea was a very modest 2.4 tons per acre.

In the cellar, Mr. Vlossak completely de-stems his Pinot and uses zero sulfur so that his fermentations can proceed naturally. After pressing the wine ages in French oak barrels, a quarter of which are new, for 16 months before bottling by gravity without fining. While Mr. Vlossak’s Pinots always show well early on but they have developed an enviable track record for rewarding patience over the years, and this 2016 is no different. Cellar if you can, but it may be harder than you think.

2016 St. Innocent Shea Vineyard
“Lurid red. Heady, mineral- and spice-accented red and blue fruit, incense and a sexy floral nuance on the seductively perfumed nose. Deeply concentrated yet energetic on the palate, offering intense black raspberry, cherry liqueur, spicecake and candied rose flavors and a building suggestion of Asian spices on the back half. Finishes silky, sweet and extremely long, with resonating floral and spice notes and round, even tannins that lend shape and gentle grip.” 94 Points, Vinous

“A wine with harmony and presence, elegantly structured and expressive, with raspberry, rose petal and spiced tea notes that build tension toward refined tannins.” 93 Points, Wine Spectator

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Posted in Reserve List By Tim Sellon

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