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St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wood. Lumberyards are on every corner in Oregon.

 
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St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wood. ... - 8/6/2008 1:23:42 PM   
Serge Birbrair

 

Posts: 3344
Joined: 4/23/2006
From: Boca Raton, Florida
Status: offline 		We made the short run and visited St. Innocent. I wish we didn't. There are more wood in their wines than fit in the bottle, and this in cludes whites we tasted.

2006 Freedom Hill Pinot Blanc - hard to guess grape, oak masks it all

2006 Anden Vineyard Chardonay - oak masks the grape but Chard butterness still sticks out. Somebody should pinch the winemaker and tell him that this is Oregon and not California.

2006 Villages Cuvee Pinot Noir - Those oaks would be better off in the forest growing up and cleaning the air. Villages...if this is not a pretencios crap, than I don't know what pretencious crap is. What "villages" in Oregon!? Did winemaker thought he was in Burgundy? He needs to be waken up.
Lots of heat/alcohol on the finish. This is NOT "Villages", no sirrie Bob..

2006 Temperence Hill Pinot Noir - let's all join Green Party and hug the trees.

2006 Zenith Vineyard Pinot Noir - feminine, rounded tannins, no muscles and less noticable oak,
I bought 2 bottles.

2006 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir - Patricia Green, Ken Wright and others who get grapes from this vineyard and tasted by me - you can sleep well, St. Innocent is not your competition. Bitter finish was the most memorable thing about this one.


As far as 1000th post is concerned, I have to quote President Bush:
The Constitution is just another piece of paper,
and I can say the same about 1000th post - this is just another number, don't make big deal out of it.

Let's better save the oak trees and the Constitution.
 
 










< Message edited by Serge Birbrair -- 8/6/2008 1:39:32 PM >

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RE: St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wo... - 8/6/2008 1:31:53 PM   
cgrimes

 

Posts: 1416
Joined: 10/8/2007
From: Massachusetts
Status: offline 		Serge, I think that was a perfect 1000th post, full of emotion, honesty, irreverence, humor.    You stayed on the subject and made us all laugh (except the winemaker at St. Innocent). 

(in reply to Serge Birbrair)
Post #: 2
RE: St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wo... - 8/6/2008 3:37:30 PM   
Serge Birbrair

 

Posts: 3344
Joined: 4/23/2006
From: Boca Raton, Florida
Status: offline 		He has nothing to worry about, I liked his pink shirt today. He entertained some folks who came with the limo driver on the outside patio.
Inside, the girl who was making pours commented to my questions about too much oak. She said:
"You probably do not like Pinot Noir, because Pinot Noir requires lots of oak."

I said nothing and just smiled......St. Innocent has bigger problem than 'ole poor me.

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RE: St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wo... - 8/7/2008 3:21:50 AM   
tomandlu

 

Posts: 57
Joined: 3/27/2006
From: Corvallis, OR
Status: offline 		Serge,

Sorry you didn't care for St. Innocent.  They have always been among my favorite Oregon wineries precisely because the wines were NOT overextracted, over-oaked fruit bombs.  I haven't tasted the most recent vintages though.  Perhaps they opted for a new, crowd-pleasing style to help pay for their new, crowd-pleasing winery.  Too bad.

Next time you're there be sure to try Evesham Wood and Bethel Heights.  Both are in the Eola Hills area near Salem.  Skip the temptation to visit Cristom though.  It's close by but worlds away in style!

Cheers,
Tom

(in reply to Serge Birbrair)
Post #: 4
RE: St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wo... - 8/7/2008 3:31:00 AM   
Serge Birbrair

 

Posts: 3344
Joined: 4/23/2006
From: Boca Raton, Florida
Status: offline 		Tom, we have easy Friday schedule and might take you on your recomendation. The style definately changed and them spending money to build commercial Californian style "Chateaux" with ample bus parking space is probably responsible for it. Oh well, they made their bed.

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RE: St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wo... - 8/7/2008 4:07:41 AM   
Maestro

 

Posts: 805
Joined: 10/4/2007
From: Italy
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Serge Birbrair

Inside, the girl who was making pours commented to my questions about too much oak. She said:
"You probably do not like Pinot Noir, because Pinot Noir requires lots of oak."



Ahh. Just the piece of information that those ignorant winemakers in Burgundy have been missing...

(in reply to Serge Birbrair)
Post #: 6
RE: St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wo... - 8/7/2008 6:26:16 AM   
Hollowine

 

Posts: 1953
Joined: 7/25/2008
From: Hood River, OR
Status: offline 		I will second the Evesham Wood recommendation. While I don't drink alot of PN, I have enjoyed their PN and Gamay Noir in the past at dinners, and I like the fact that they have some (all??) Certified Organic offerings.

(in reply to Maestro)
Post #: 7
RE: St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wo... - 8/7/2008 6:38:12 AM   
tomandlu

 

Posts: 57
Joined: 3/27/2006
From: Corvallis, OR
Status: offline 		Serge,

I didn't realize you were still in Oregon!  If you decide to try out Evesham Wood you'll need to call and make an appointment.  Their cellar is in the basement of their home and they don't have a tasting room (I'm not even sure they've paved the driveway!).  Bethel Heights probably has tasting room hours since it's summer.

I'll look forward to hearing your impressions!

Tom

(in reply to Hollowine)
Post #: 8
RE: St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wo... - 8/7/2008 6:54:16 AM   
tomandlu

 

Posts: 57
Joined: 3/27/2006
From: Corvallis, OR
Status: offline 		Now you've got me worried.  I just perused my cellar list and found that I bought 6 bottles each of the 2006 Villages Cuvee (always a nice, lightweight pinot for early drinking in past vintages) and the 2006 Seven Springs Special Selection.  This was Mark's last year to get fruit from Seven Springs and Anden since the owners dumped their old contract holders and now sell exclusively to a California group. 

I guess I'll have to dredge up a '06 Villages when I'm back in Oregon next month and see what it's like.

By the way, since Mark lost his Seven Springs and Anden contracts all of his fruit now comes from relatively young vines.  Perhaps that's part of the reason for his shift in style.  I still think that paying for that palace has to be the main driver though and many of us long-time fans were very worried this might happen.

sigh............................

Tom

(in reply to Serge Birbrair)
Post #: 9
RE: St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wo... - 8/7/2008 9:33:05 AM   
stevetimko

 

Posts: 125
Joined: 2/20/2007
Status: offline 		I've tasted some aged St. Innocent and I got no major oak. Perhaps it integrates after a year.

(in reply to tomandlu)
Post #: 10
RE: St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wo... - 8/7/2008 9:37:08 AM   
Serge Birbrair

 

Posts: 3344
Joined: 4/23/2006
From: Boca Raton, Florida
Status: offline 		...or the style has changed. I only tasted '06 and has no reference points.

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RE: St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wo... - 8/7/2008 3:54:51 PM   
Serge Birbrair

 

Posts: 3344
Joined: 4/23/2006
From: Boca Raton, Florida
Status: offline 		Tom, I checked their website
http://www.bethelheights.com/pages/wine01a.htm
and I'll probably skip them.
$50-60 Oregon PN!?

I can buy VERY decent 2005 Burgundies for this price and I won't have to haul them in my luggage.
Thanks for the idea though, always appreciate them.

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Post #: 12
RE: St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wo... - 8/8/2008 11:54:55 AM   
tomandlu

 

Posts: 57
Joined: 3/27/2006
From: Corvallis, OR
Status: offline 		Serge,
Well, you certainly have a point there.  I rate their better vineyards and vintages right up there with good Premier Cru Burgundy (Beaune or Volnay, not Vosne) though, of course, the style is entirely different.  Note that I didn't suggest you stop at Cristom!

Safe travels,
Tom

(in reply to Serge Birbrair)
Post #: 13
RE: St Innocent - there are easier ways to sniff the wo... - 8/8/2008 3:53:53 PM   
Serge Birbrair

 

Posts: 3344
Joined: 4/23/2006
From: Boca Raton, Florida
Status: offline 		Thank you, Tom, we made it to Portland and will be taking it easy by making daily hikes in the forest and nice eateries at night. Vacation is almost over
:(

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Post #: 14
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