by Jenise » Thu Oct 18, 2007 4:48 pm
Ah, found it. And the results aren't quite what I remembered them to be. More was likely revealed in the ensuing discussion, but only the original post remains.
It's below:
Topic: TN: Mark Vlossak/Burgundy Wine Company St. Innocent Dinner at l''Imper
Author: Jay Miller
Date: Thu Sep 5 01:27:39 2002
BWC helped break in the new L''Impero restaurant in Tudor City tonight with a dinner/tasting featuring wines from my favorite West Coast Pinot producer (hard to believe it was less than 2 years ago that Jenise''s and Bob Ross'' posts first convinced me to try them).
Before moving onto the wines I''d like to put in a good word for the restaurant. Affiliated in some unidentified way with Judson Grill, the food was superb and very wine friendly. Delicious, well integrated flavors that were interesting but didn''t overpower the wines. The space was attractive and the service good, but the low hard ceilings in the area we were sitting led to a very high noise level. If I go back (which I''m inclined to do) then I''d ask to be seated in the lower area which has higher ceilings and thus hopefully a lower noise level. As it was, I found it very difficult to hear anyone not sitting immediately next to me.
After hearing Mark Vlossak speak at the dinner I came away understanding why St. Innocent is one of the very few west coast wines I buy. A passionate advocate for terroir, he believes that the greatest wines in the world come from Burgundy (Gouges NSG is a particular favorite) but that "to try to make Burgundy in Oregon is a big mistake".
He said that one necessity in making great wine is to have the grapes just barely get ripe. They should ripen at the last possible moment before being picked. Oregons climate of low summer rainfall (less than an inch from July 4th to November) and cool weather is a big advantage here. And in fact if I had to describe a house style it''s one where sweet fruit is present, but used as an accent. Just as a touch of salt enhances all the other flavors of a dish but too much will overpower them, that''s the restraint he employs in making his wines.
It was exciting to hear him talk about searching for the best sites to grow grapes and learning the characteristics of the different vineyards. He experiments with different barrel types in each year, determining what to use in weak years as opposed to stronger years to determine how best to let the underlying characteristics of the wine show through. His grapes from each vineyard come from the same section devoted to him each year, and he selects vineyards because he thinks they make unique wines that speak.
He thinks Oregon pinot will continue to improve as the vines age (currently his oldest vines are only 20 years old) and the best sites are discovered. At that point Oregon will begin producing pinot to rival anything, including Burgundy.
I''m very glad I had the chance to taste them in this environment. Don''t serve them out at the same dinner where you''re also pouring big Cabernets, etc. The differences in bottlings are occasionally subtle but always worth attending to.
Please remember in reading my grades that B wines are really good. An A is reserved for greatness. Of course I''ll grade pinot based wines higher than many others as a matter of personal preference.
On to the wines:
2000 St. Innocent Vitae Springs Pinot Gris - faint bouquet of pear and guava? Smooth rich texture, but not especially interesting flavor, a bit drab really. Mark Vlossak suggests that if you like Pinot Gris the one to look for is the Shea that''s coming out in February. C+
2001 St. Innocent Freedom Hill Pinot Blanc - the nose is more reticent but the wine is much livelier! More acidity, interesting melange of orange, lime, apple, lively, fresh. Possible touch of oak but I''m not certain of that, if so not enough to detract. B
1997 - Seven Springs Pinot Noir - Smells much more open than last year when Luca was pleasantly surprised by it, with a rich liquourish bouquet. But the palate has added only a touch more fruit to the elegant bones. Dried cherries, dried leaves, spice, some subtle herbal influence, thickens on the finish. Thoroughly delightful wine from a theoretically off vintage.
Went surprisingly well with an amuse bouche of a shrimp with some kind of designer salt.
This is Mark Vlossak''s favorite vineyard and I understand why. he says it''s characteristics include wild brambly berries, white pepper, ripe blackberries, and spices without sweetness.
B+, wouldn''t be at all surprised if I raised it to an A- with more time.
1997 Brick House Pinot Noir - Dustier nose, more reticent, perfect small scaled wine. Finish is a bit short but it fans out in a light but delicious fashion. B
2000 Brick House Pinot Noir - You can tell this was a riper vintage, there was a longer finish but as always it''s not about overripe fruit. A slight medicinal tinge intrudes, or perhaps that''s more pine. Give it time. B-
2000 Temperance Hill Pinot Noir - a delight. More sweet fruit than the others, but still pure and well balanced. I''m vaguely reminded of Clos Roche Blanche. Perhaps a touch sweeter, perhaps a hair less harmonious, but a thoroughly satisfactory wine that melded exceptionally well with the Porcini, English Peas and Shiitake Mushroom Salad. B
2000 Freedom Hill Chardonnay - As many of you know I can count the Chardonnays I''ve really liked without taking my shoes off. Domaine de Roally, Sauzet Chevalier Montrachet, B. Morey Chassagne Caillerets. This had a light but interesting bouquet. On the palate I get chalk, melon and rainwater. Trails off a bit on the finish but probably the best US chardonnay I''ve had (not that I drink many). Quite lovely in a soft way. A balanced west coast chardonnay. Who know it was possible? Another good match with the salad and it more than held its own with teh Temperance Hill. B
1996 Freedom Hill Pinot Noir - More powerful than the others, the current of fruit is much stronger (though not sweeter) than the pretty mountain stream of the earlier wines. You want to find a ford or a bridge for this wine. With air the tannins this vineyard are known for became quite evident. Mark Vlossak said that the Freedom Hill Pinots start out hard and tannic and slowly soften year by year as opposed to the 7 Springs which drink well for the first 2-3 years and then shut down for 5-6 before opening up again. He also said that Black Cherries and earth are characteristic flavors.
B with a probable promotion to B+ with more time.
2000 Shea Pinot Noir - Least interesting so far. Good solid wine but I don''t see the violets he talked about as being characteristic of this vineyard (along with red roses, red & black raspberry). He said that it didn''t pair well with the baby goat but if we''d had it with (for example) duck breast with a fruit sauce it would beat out the ''96 Freedom Hill and ''00 Seven Springs as a food pairing. Perhaps, but as it was: C+
1999 Seven Springs Pinot Noir - Not as forward as the ''98 (which we didn''t have in this tasting) but real quality here. Complex sparkles of flavor keep my attention. Dusty spices without sweetness. B+, likely A- in 8 years or so.
1998 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir - Tight, but a lot of coiled potential. The ripe (but as always, not overripe) fruit is smooth leading into a long finish. Really good. A touch of pine and mint as accents to the plums, raspberries and yes, violets. It improves with air as the structure becomes more apparent and the flavor profile nudges over towards cherries. B
1992 Seven Springs Pinot Noir (from magnum) - From a vintage where the wines matured rapidly and most have died, although he feels the 7 Springs is just peaking. Dusty older bouquet, a touch of overripeness for the first time? It was too cold at first and I hope it will show more with air and warmth but, alas, this doesn''t seem to help. Still light and ultimately uninteresting. C
1993 O''Connor Pinot Noir (from magnum) - Much more intense nose. I''m thinking sangiovese with it''s strong structure, acidity and cherry fruit. My early notes read: A bit light. I''m not convinced this shouldn''t have beenb drunk several years ago. C+
As it warmed up (both magnums seemed to have come from a refrigerator) and got some air I was convinced. It filled out dramatically and showed as remarkably young and vibrant. B+
I drank my last one a few years ago.