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 Vintage2010 Label 1 of 8 
TypeRed
ProducerAlexana (web)
VarietyPinot Noir
Designationn/a
VineyardShea Vineyard
CountryUSA
RegionOregon
SubRegionWillamette Valley
AppellationWillamette Valley

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 2014 and 2018 (based on 4 user opinions)
Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Alexana Pinot Noir Shea on the Wine Market Journal.

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 91.6 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 28 notes) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by tfesmgk on 1/20/2021 & rated 93 points: Still great! Classic Burgundy style Pinot. Dark but full. Tannic with spice. (620 views)
 Tasted by dpwinecellar on 4/1/2019 & rated 93 points: This is drinking really well right now! (935 views)
 Tasted by atherme on 8/12/2017 & rated 95 points: This wine is superb. Very soft and velvety smooth. Perfectly balanced with earthy undertones. Lucious long finish that makes you crave more. (1352 views)
 Tasted by dpwinecellar on 12/25/2016 & rated 89 points: Peppery.. not a lot of fruit. I used a Coravin to get a taste of this. Plan to let it sit a full year before attempting to drink the full bottle (1280 views)
 Tasted by pugblanc on 12/19/2016 & rated 80 points: A little funk (1360 views)
 Tasted by WineGuyFL on 9/27/2015 & rated 93 points: Last bottle. Wish I had more. Dark/multiple flavors. Pairs well with a wide variety of food. (1689 views)
 Tasted by BadOyster on 8/14/2015 & rated 90 points: the darker fruits left, leaving only bright raspberry and sour cherry. barely a tannin, but with a very high acidity and alcohol. can't say i liked it as much as upon its release - makes me a little sad. (1255 views)
 Tasted by dundeehills on 12/17/2014 & rated 92 points: Drinking very well. Great balance with dark fruit, spice and an earthiness. Sipped with friends after dinner when opening just one more bottle was called for and thoroughly enjoyed! (1570 views)
 Tasted by WineGuyFL on 8/18/2014 & rated 92 points: Third bottle. Drinking well. Plum and earth notes come through for me. (1296 views)
 Tasted by WineGuyFL on 4/5/2014 & rated 93 points: My second bottle of 6. Very good. Wish I had acquired a whole case. Drank with a group. They all loved it. (1604 views)
 Tasted by WineGuyFL on 2/1/2014 & rated 93 points: Very, very, good. Note of plum. Good with food or just for sipping. Balanced. I discovered this vineyard on a wine list in a restaurant. It made the meal that night. I liked the bottle enough to seek some out.....and am glad I did. (1148 views)
 Tasted by rocknroller on 7/31/2013 & rated 92 points: Willamette Valley Oregon Trip 4 & 1/2 Days; 7/29/2013-8/4/2013 (Willamette Valley, Oregon): The clear winner was the Shea . Splendid nose with musty earth, leather, sandalwood. the palate is dense and savory, black cherry and dark berries, leather, smoke, silky tannins. 92+pts. (2933 views)
 Tasted by Weston3220 on 7/17/2013: 4th Annual Pinot Extravaganza with Salmon Dinner (Eugene, Oregon): Rich, Creamy, Strawberry, Simple Quick Finish

started to open up a bit later on but slowly unwinded, wouldnt totally write this off yet I want to come back to another botle [one because it is shea vineyards] (1410 views)
 Tasted by BadOyster on 3/4/2013 & rated 93 points: Sexier than the 2010 Signature Series. Beautiful wine. (1280 views)
 Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine...

CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles)

Alexana

Producer website

Pinot Noir

Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.


Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.

Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.

The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.

Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.

In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.

With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.

Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.

Shea Vineyard

Shea Vineyard was first planted to wine grapes in the late 1980s. Today Shea Vineyard is a 200-acre property with 140 planted acres. 135 of these acres are planted to Pinot noir vines and the balance is planted to Chardonnay.
http://www.sheawinecellars.com/vineyard/

The Shea vineyard is in the Yamhill-Carlton District just west of the Chehalem Valley. The fruit is sourced from three small blocks, one of which is planted to the Pommard clone, one to the Dijon 114 clone and the last to Dijon 777 clone. Soils are primarily of the Goodin and Melbourne type which are sedimentary in origin. The three blocks range in elevation from 450 to 600 feet and were planted in 1989. The wine from this vineyard has a complex array of aromas and flavors including black and red fruits, particularly blueberry, spice and earth. Approximately 725 cases are produced. The vineyard is owned by Dick and Deirdre Shea and managed by Javier Marin.

Shea Vineyard is a 200 acre vineyard in Yamhill County, Oregon, owned by Dick and Deidre Shea. It is, by almost universal account, the most highly regarded vineyard in Oregon.
Shea sells grapes to some of Oregon's best wineries, and the vineyard has a reputation for producing some of the best Pinot noirs in the world, from such winemakers as Ken Wright and Mike Etzel of Beaux Freres. Shea planted the original 100-acre vineyard in 1988 and 1989 on its own roots, but has been systematically replanting with grafted vines over the past few years in response to phylloxera.

Read more:http://www.northwest-wine.com/Shea-Wine-Cellars-Block-5-Pinot-noir.html#ixzz16KKRMLJH

USA

American wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.

Oregon

Oregon Wine, Oregon Wineries (Oregon Wine Board)

Willamette Valley

Willamette Valley Wineries Association | Willamette Valley (Oregon Wine Board)
On weinlagen-info including some single vineyards

Willamette Valley Vintage Reviews

Willamette Valley

Willamette Valley Wineries Association | Willamette Valley AVA Wikipedia article

#2012 vintage:
"Broadly speaking, the Willamette Valley's 2012 pinots are fleshy and fruit-dominated, with round tannins and forward personalities. The fruit tends to the darker side of the pinot spectrum--think cherry and blackberry rather than strawberry and raspberry, much less cranberry and redcurrant--and this gives the wines massive crowd appeal. The best wines also have the depth to age, so don't be fooled by their accessible nature in the early going." - Josh Raynolds

#2013 vintage:
"The key to a successful foray into the ‘13s is first to understand that in most instances the wines lean to the red fruit side of Pinot Noir; they tend to be tangy and tightly wound but often lack concentration. While some wines may put on weight and gain sweetness with bottle age, that’s a gamble I’ll personally leave to others. The 2013s also tend to lack the tannic structure for more than mid-term aging although they will likely endure on their acidity, which I suspect will usually outlast the fruit in this vintage" - Josh Raynolds

#2014 vintage:
"The 2014 vintage in Oregon may be remembered as the vintage of a lifetime [for growers] . . . these wines as they will be similar to the 2009 vintage . . . lovely, ripe, rich, deeply concentrated and aromatic" - winebusiness.com
"The conditions made it relatively easy to make good wines, with no worries about achieving ripeness, and the lack of frost risk allowed us to keep grapes on the vine as long as we wished." - Casey McClellan

 
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