Dark color with a musty hue that gives a clue about age. On the palate, also a clearly older wine with a great secondary nose sporting that Oregon incense thing, dried fruit leather and an earthy finish. Very pleased (which I'm certain I won't be when I open the '11 SI Momtazi, my last of a mixed case.)
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Didn't take notes, but this was singing last night. Still fairly dark in colour. On the absolutely intoxicating nose, there's a sous bois celebration, along with raspberries and earthy cherries. Medium bodied, as the vintage tamed the usual extremely ripe style of the vineyard, and almost as tasty as the nose; light tannins and elegance frame the long finish. Beautiful pinot that displays the quality of this cool vintage (A-).
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A bigger than average wine in a vintage of more delicate PN. But we should expect no less from Shea Vineyard fruit. This was a really good wine, especially with food (Scandinavian, in this case). It still has plenty of life left in it and could still do with 2 - 3 more years in the bottle but was very drinkable now. I don't know that it will make it to 2024 but I won't have any left by then, so I likely will never know! Really enjoyable. Took the rest of it out of the fridge 5 days later! Was still a truly excellent wine. I just upgraded my score from 90 to 93. This has a long, long finish, lots of marionberry. Wow!
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Prior bottle was four months ago and my bottle tonight showed slightly better. Mix of mostly red cherry (some black) and light floral notes on the nose. Again, not as expressive as wines from this producer generally are. Medium bodied with the same mix of soft red and black cherry upfront, light spices and mineral notes on the finish. The problem is while the tannins have integrated over the past couple of years and the acidity has lost some of its more overt tartness, the fruit has faded more quickly. This bottle didn't have the hole in the fruit right before the finish (as my prior bottle did), but that was the only positive change. Right now, the acidity still overpowers the fruit and you're left with a soft, slightly dull wine, lacking in brightness and complexity. More time will help the acidity, but I think the fruit will continue to fade more quickly and even if it didn't, there's not enough complexity there to make it worth the effort to cellar it for longer.
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My first bottle in nearly two years and unfortunately, it hasn't quite improved as I'd hoped. Black cherry on the nose, shifting to red with some hints of floral coming in, but overall, not as expressive as St Innocent wines generally are. Medium bodied (13% ABV) and while the tannins have integrated to a good degree (as I'd hoped), the fruit is still tightly wound and there's a hole starting to develop right before the transition where the fruit simply falls out before the finish can take over. Black cherry upfront, shifting to red towards the back, but lacking the brightness this wine typically shows. A little bit clunky in the transitions and has this dull, dry spot right before the finish where the fruit completely disappears momentarily before the finishing light spices and minerals take over. While I was pleased that the tannins and strong tartness that marked my first bottle are integrating positively, neither the fruit nor the complexity are improving. Simply doesn't have the layers and depth that the 2008 and 2010 versions showed in abundance. Probably will save my last bottle for Spring 2018, but I'm not terribly hopeful that additional time will bring this wine around. Still, worth a shot.
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Very solid 2011 with riper and spicier notes than most showing the Shea vineyard can ripen things even in a tough year. The palate is developed and balanced with tannins that are a bit more rustic than the typical St Innocent wine, but still overall very good. Should still hold for 5+ years, but I don't know that there is a lot of upside at this time to further cellaring.
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Decanted this 375 ml bottle for an hour and paired it with roast chicken. Medium ruby color. Nose was very nice, with scents of mulberry, forest floor, alpine flowers, anise, and fennel. Austere but facile enough on the tongue, revealing layers of raspberry, black cherry, anise, cinnamon, iron filings, and earth in a seamless array. Good acidity and strong tannins, leading up to a moderately long finish of red fruit and iron. Liked it.
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Quite funky upon opening-maybe reductive not sure. Later with a strong forest floor expressive nose. Black cherry palate, turning quite austere on the transition to the finish. A shorter finish than expected but improved as it saw air. Give at least an hour of air or hold.
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Black cherry and tea on the nose. Light at first and not as complex as I would've expected from St Innocent, nor as much depth. With 3+ hours, the wine did come around, but that leads to a few conclusions. One, this is a good but not spectacular wine which will never show tremendous complexity and two, given its somewhat closed-down nature and the high acidity, it may be best to hold this for a couple of years and see how it develops. Lots of black cherry and tea notes through the middle along with some good earthiness, light spices and mineral notes on the finish. It has a lot of tart acidity at present that I think will be better balanced in the future. This pinot has potential if the acidity can come a little more into balance, the wine can deepen a bit and the middle can open up somewhat.
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Very much in balance and drinking well now. Fresh tart cherry flavors, a dose of spice and dried herbs. A tad short on length but enjoyable. Not the high alcohol fruit bomb that other winemakers make.
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Definitely a quality wine, and very much in the style that I expect of Oregon. A new world Pinot that makes a good effort to be french. A fresh nose but at the same time there's distinct oak, earth and a meaty component. Initially lots of fruit, cherries and lingonberries, that with time give way for more and more Pinot spices. A nice nose that grows during the night. Very young on the palate. High acidity, firm tannins, but with good fruit and good length. This has a bright future, and will surely be more fun in 3-5 years.
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Medium nose of sour acid cran. In the mouth, unbalanced crude acid overpowering unripe red fruit. Short finish and ungainly pepper. Nose hints at something more but the taste and feel in the mouth seals the deal.... meh at best! Stupendously overpriced and over rated in the popular press.
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Medium bodied and quite dry. Complexity seems a little low. Tannins are young and relatively in check. Nose is of cherry and cran. Mouthfeel is a little rough even after a multi-hour decant. Flavors come from the darker end of the spectrum with tobacco, earth, cocoa and dusty sand. Lacks fruitiness for a while this young in the bottle. Still complex and a good effort though.
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Still young, red fruits, smoke and spice on the nose. Plenty of structure and tannins. Black cherry, spice, tea and cola dominate the palate. 90+ points
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5/21/2023 - gudetama Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Still drinking well.
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5/20/2022 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Dark color with a musty hue that gives a clue about age. On the palate, also a clearly older wine with a great secondary nose sporting that Oregon incense thing, dried fruit leather and an earthy finish. Very pleased (which I'm certain I won't be when I open the '11 SI Momtazi, my last of a mixed case.)
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7/5/2020 - JohnSh wrote: 92 Points
Didn't take notes, but this was singing last night. Still fairly dark in colour. On the absolutely intoxicating nose, there's a sous bois celebration, along with raspberries and earthy cherries. Medium bodied, as the vintage tamed the usual extremely ripe style of the vineyard, and almost as tasty as the nose; light tannins and elegance frame the long finish. Beautiful pinot that displays the quality of this cool vintage (A-).
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3/28/2020 - Brian Glas Likes this wine: 89 Points
Really starting to open up after an hour of air. Still needs time. Pretty tight. Crunchy red berry fruit. Some grainy tannins. Medium finish.
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3/23/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Tart black cherry with earth and subtle spice. Medium weight. Time to drink up.
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3/21/2020 - Mild Plaid Likes this wine:
This is showing beautifully right now, even with some time is less-than-perfect storage.
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4/28/2018 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Perhaps the richest and most age-worthy of the 2011 St. Innocent line-up. Impressive fruit and palate presence, still young.
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2/7/2018 - bear Likes this wine: 93 Points
A bigger than average wine in a vintage of more delicate PN. But we should expect no less from Shea Vineyard fruit. This was a really good wine, especially with food (Scandinavian, in this case). It still has plenty of life left in it and could still do with 2 - 3 more years in the bottle but was very drinkable now. I don't know that it will make it to 2024 but I won't have any left by then, so I likely will never know! Really enjoyable.
Took the rest of it out of the fridge 5 days later! Was still a truly excellent wine. I just upgraded my score from 90 to 93. This has a long, long finish, lots of marionberry. Wow!
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9/18/2017 - RGCM Gananda wrote: 89 Points
Prior bottle was four months ago and my bottle tonight showed slightly better. Mix of mostly red cherry (some black) and light floral notes on the nose. Again, not as expressive as wines from this producer generally are. Medium bodied with the same mix of soft red and black cherry upfront, light spices and mineral notes on the finish. The problem is while the tannins have integrated over the past couple of years and the acidity has lost some of its more overt tartness, the fruit has faded more quickly. This bottle didn't have the hole in the fruit right before the finish (as my prior bottle did), but that was the only positive change. Right now, the acidity still overpowers the fruit and you're left with a soft, slightly dull wine, lacking in brightness and complexity. More time will help the acidity, but I think the fruit will continue to fade more quickly and even if it didn't, there's not enough complexity there to make it worth the effort to cellar it for longer.
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5/17/2017 - RGCM Gananda wrote: 88 Points
My first bottle in nearly two years and unfortunately, it hasn't quite improved as I'd hoped. Black cherry on the nose, shifting to red with some hints of floral coming in, but overall, not as expressive as St Innocent wines generally are. Medium bodied (13% ABV) and while the tannins have integrated to a good degree (as I'd hoped), the fruit is still tightly wound and there's a hole starting to develop right before the transition where the fruit simply falls out before the finish can take over. Black cherry upfront, shifting to red towards the back, but lacking the brightness this wine typically shows. A little bit clunky in the transitions and has this dull, dry spot right before the finish where the fruit completely disappears momentarily before the finishing light spices and minerals take over. While I was pleased that the tannins and strong tartness that marked my first bottle are integrating positively, neither the fruit nor the complexity are improving. Simply doesn't have the layers and depth that the 2008 and 2010 versions showed in abundance. Probably will save my last bottle for Spring 2018, but I'm not terribly hopeful that additional time will bring this wine around. Still, worth a shot.
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11/7/2016 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Very solid 2011 with riper and spicier notes than most showing the Shea vineyard can ripen things even in a tough year. The palate is developed and balanced with tannins that are a bit more rustic than the typical St Innocent wine, but still overall very good. Should still hold for 5+ years, but I don't know that there is a lot of upside at this time to further cellaring.
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2/10/2016 - agodea Likes this wine: 96 Points
Very smoky nose, delicious.
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1/22/2016 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Similar comments to last bottle.
These are great QPR bottles.
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12/7/2015 - DougLee wrote: 90 Points
Decanted this 375 ml bottle for an hour and paired it with roast chicken. Medium ruby color. Nose was very nice, with scents of mulberry, forest floor, alpine flowers, anise, and fennel. Austere but facile enough on the tongue, revealing layers of raspberry, black cherry, anise, cinnamon, iron filings, and earth in a seamless array. Good acidity and strong tannins, leading up to a moderately long finish of red fruit and iron. Liked it.
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11/10/2015 - tom_wine Likes this wine: 87 Points
Not sure where this is going or where it has been. Tightly wound. Fruit is firm and ungiving. Bright cherry fruit, a dash of allspice.
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10/1/2015 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Quite funky upon opening-maybe reductive not sure. Later with a strong forest floor expressive nose. Black cherry palate, turning quite austere on the transition to the finish. A shorter finish than expected but improved as it saw air. Give at least an hour of air or hold.
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8/27/2015 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Way better on day two. Classic Shea Vineyard.
Cola, some spice, nice fruit all on day 2.
Hold for at least 2 more years before next one.
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7/19/2015 - sastewart wrote: flawed
Badly corked! Bought on release and stored at 55 degrees.
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7/10/2015 - RGCM Gananda wrote: 90 Points
Black cherry and tea on the nose. Light at first and not as complex as I would've expected from St Innocent, nor as much depth. With 3+ hours, the wine did come around, but that leads to a few conclusions. One, this is a good but not spectacular wine which will never show tremendous complexity and two, given its somewhat closed-down nature and the high acidity, it may be best to hold this for a couple of years and see how it develops. Lots of black cherry and tea notes through the middle along with some good earthiness, light spices and mineral notes on the finish. It has a lot of tart acidity at present that I think will be better balanced in the future. This pinot has potential if the acidity can come a little more into balance, the wine can deepen a bit and the middle can open up somewhat.
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7/4/2015 - tom_wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very much in balance and drinking well now. Fresh tart cherry flavors, a dose of spice and dried herbs. A tad short on length but enjoyable. Not the high alcohol fruit bomb that other winemakers make.
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6/30/2015 - Jbird73 Does not like this wine:
Nose starts out with some dark purple fruit and spice but devolved over time into a little off-putting band-aid smell....wish it weren't so...
Oddly, if you don't inhale and drink it is "ok" but not much more.
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6/28/2015 - edgar Likes this wine: 91 Points
spice, cola, tart fruit on nose. palate well balanced, acids present but not overwhelming.
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8/9/2014 - Lilja wrote: 90 Points
Definitely a quality wine, and very much in the style that I expect of Oregon. A new world Pinot that makes a good effort to be french.
A fresh nose but at the same time there's distinct oak, earth and a meaty component. Initially lots of fruit, cherries and lingonberries, that with time give way for more and more Pinot spices. A nice nose that grows during the night. Very young on the palate. High acidity, firm tannins, but with good fruit and good length. This has a bright future, and will surely be more fun in 3-5 years.
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8/1/2014 - cristian_m wrote: 83 Points
Medium nose of sour acid cran. In the mouth, unbalanced crude acid overpowering unripe red fruit. Short finish and ungainly pepper. Nose hints at something more but the taste and feel in the mouth seals the deal.... meh at best! Stupendously overpriced and over rated in the popular press.
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7/4/2014 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Willamette with a touch of Wedding Planning (or vice versa); 7/2/2014-7/4/2014 (Willamette Valley): Bright and fun and cherry and leather and lots of potential ageability. Really liked this one.
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6/23/2014 - cristian_m wrote: 84 Points
Medium bodied and quite dry. Complexity seems a little low. Tannins are young and relatively in check. Nose is of cherry and cran. Mouthfeel is a little rough even after a multi-hour decant. Flavors come from the darker end of the spectrum with tobacco, earth, cocoa and dusty sand. Lacks fruitiness for a while this young in the bottle. Still complex and a good effort though.
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5/28/2014 - Mauest wrote: 90 Points
Drank at Scratch in Mountain View. Trying it with lamb . Stay tuned.
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2/7/2014 - sastewart wrote: 90 Points
Still young, red fruits, smoke and spice on the nose. Plenty of structure and tannins. Black cherry, spice, tea and cola dominate the palate. 90+ points
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11/19/2013 - Rezy13 wrote:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Bin 75): Pale ruby; soft, fresh, tart red fruit, mineral, herbaceous; ok.
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7/30/2013 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Willamette Valley Oregon Trip 4 & 1/2 Days; 7/29/2013-8/4/2013 (Willamette Valley, Oregon): TheShea was drinking quite well given its youth, showing off the telltale dark fruits, smoke, and spice on thenose. the palate brings power with ripe cherry and cola notes along with black raspberry preserves. the tannins have a little grip, but are round. 92(+)pts.
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