WTN: Shea hey!

[David M. Bueker]

2006 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Yamhill County (4/15/2009)
This is nice - balanced red fruit, not too tannic, acidity for structure, good persistence, just a hint of warm earth. There's a bit of vanilla on the finish that I hope resolves over time, but overall a very good wine that is clearly Pinot Noir & also clearly Oregon.

I haven't opened my 06 yet, but last week had the 05, which was very nice and did not have any vanilla hints at all. Red berries, earth and a clean, tart finish.

I opened a 2002 St. Innocent Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir last week and found it to be undrinkable. I've got another 1-2 bottles in storage; hopefully they will be better. All in all, I had a poor 2-week period for OR Pinot Noir of that vintage; a bottle from A-Z and from Torii Mor were both drinkable but had not held up very well.

-- Clark

[David M. Bueker]

Clark,

What made the '02 Shea undrinkable? I've had that same wine in the not so distant past & it's been wonderful.

David,

There was minimal aroma, and the wine was dominated by a downright ugly finish, like a mixture of tobacco and burnt rubber. I wish I could pinpoint it better for you.

I opened another bottle tonight and it was much better. Not a knock-out great wine, but otherwise fine. However, it was a bit too dark much for the entree pairing, a piece of baked halibut with panko served with mashed yukon gold potatoes.

-- Clark

[David M. Bueker]

Sounds like your first bottle was mildly corked.

As to the pairing - I don't think I would head in that direction. Now a St. Innocent Pinot Gris could have been a fantastic match with that course.

2006 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Yamhill County (4/15/2009)
This is nice - balanced red fruit, not too tannic, acidity for structure, good persistence, just a hint of warm earth. There's a bit of vanilla on the finish that I hope resolves over time, but overall a very good wine that is clearly Pinot Noir & also clearly Oregon.

David, what is the going rate for this wine in your part of the country? It seems that here, St I wines have jumped in price in recent vintages.

[David M. Bueker]

Prices have gone up, but gradually over the last several years. The wine is now about $42 in my area, but the 2002s were in the mid-$30s.

Sounds like your first bottle was mildly corked.

As to the pairing - I don't think I would head in that direction. Now a St. Innocent Pinot Gris could have been a fantastic match with that course.

I always associate a musty smell with a corked wine, and that wine did not smell musty. I will have to read up a bit more on how to characterize damaged wines more accurately.

I agree that particular Pinot was much too heavy for the halibut. Honestly ... I really wanted to open another bottle of that 2002 St. Innocent to see how it tasted.

Prices have gone up, but gradually over the last several years. The wine is now about $42 in my area, but the 2002s were in the mid-$30s.

At the time I purchased these wines, they were selling for $30/bottle at Oregon retailers; slightly higher here in Washington. I paid $25+/bottle after discount. OUCH, considering I already dumped most of one bottle.

-- Clark