June 4, 2011 - 10 year old bottle and still packed a punch, good fruit, nice acid, with time the fruit turned darker like cherries and blackberries. Good smoke with hints of tobacco still coming out. It was a very pleasant wine, glad I saved it all these years to see how age helps.
January 27, 2008 - Exceptional bottle of wine... complex, earthy almost burgundian flavors. More fruit on the nose than in the mouth. Paired beautifully with rosemary and garlic chicken and potatoes. If other St. Innocent bottlings are this good.. they've found a new fan.
October 28, 2006 - A classic garnet color with pomegranate, cherry, and earth on the nose. Well balanced ripe but slightly restrained fruit. VERY enjoyabe. Could go another 2-3 years easy.
May 15, 2006 - Light spice-rack nose with some blackberry/briarpatch fruit side-by-side. "lifting" palate with good acids levels (but not unpleasant when drank solo). A somewhat "meaty" palate for Oregon Pinot... shifts to more red fruit with just a hint of tartness. Very good, enjoyable drink that seems to be just entering its drinking window.
December 17, 2005 - 13.6% alcohol...if you are going to drink one, please decant the night before for and hour or so, then taste the next night. This wine was as stubborn as a mule the first night, relinquishing nothing, short and abrubt nose, highly acidic palate, not out of joint, just sort of shrill and murky...the second night this wine sang the praises that SI deserves. Delicious, well-balanced, Pinot drinkers Pinot. Really tremendous wine. Must still have some time on it's side - much time. Last bottle. ****.
April 15, 2005 - Big ripe fruit with dark floral aromas. Some acidity and tannin at this point - probably needs a few years to develop more complexity. Solid potential.
November 14, 2004 - Taste this wine before the NSG...blew our company away. Incredible nose, granted after 45 minutes in decanter, spice and all Pinot, earth, cranberry/raspberry/pinotberry...incredible balance and beauty on the palate. Phenominal Pinot - and easily the best wine I have had from Oregon this year. Structured enough to warrant a few more years in the cellar. Glorious surprise!
November 2, 2004 - Tuesday, November 02, 2004 Ruby red in color. A nose of cherry, cola, herbs (maybe rosemary). A leaner body than the Loring with notes of cherry, cola, earth and herbs. Not as ripe as the Loring, with a somewhat greener finish. Nevertheless, a nice wine. 13.6% alc. From 375ml. With porkloin roast with mustard coating in walnuts, soy sauce and honey concoction.
August 14, 2004 - 13.6%...Intense nose of cherries, earth, miniscule smokey character and a pine element that sneaks in...Medium-full, with tremendous structure, raspberries, tannin, all red fruits - not in the tangy Pinot category/not in the this is not Pinot category either - just a sh*tload going on here...needs 2-3 more years to fill out - no worries about this bad boy making it for the duration as it has plenty of extraction/tannin/acidity...As always this producer is more than a pleasure to pull...Decanted for 1 hour prior to consuming...$40ish.
August 6, 2004 - I think this is my first St. Innocent Pinot. Drank from a 375ml.
Nose of fairly heavy smke blew off eventually to reveal macerated cherries and spring air and a hint of sage. Tastes quite good, plenty of cherries to go around with a tighter graphite feel, a hint of smokiness and it's supple yet structured. I probably could have waited awhile to open this. I think it'll be better in a year or two. If you pop one sooner than that, decant for an hour at least.
89 TJ points