Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

Thanks for posting Bill. I want to visit the region but the month of February may be about the only time I can get out there in 2017.

St. Innocent makes wine from all of these vineyards.

St. Innocent makes wine from all of these vineyards.

What does that mean though.

I don't think Feb. is the best month to visit. Maybe a little wet and cold.

I'm sure. But it is either that or nothing. At least in 2017.

Great to see love for my Momtazi peeps

Jim, my take, the article is not about St Innocent, it's about great vineyards. It happens that SI sources from all these. So the question is, you have good material, can you make a good wine.

So why do we say we love "St. Innocent" when really we should be saying we love "Momtazi," "Freedom Hill," etc., etc.

We like St. Innocent because they make a good product and they source the best vineyards, a win/win. Great grapes don't make great wine without intervention.

Hmm I need to be sold on that argument.
If you and I bought a "winery," and we did all the proper investments in equipment, machinery, personnel, etc., don't you think, after a certain amount of trial and error, we could do what Mark Vlosak does? On the other hand, you and I can buy a plot of land, but because of the weaknesses in the soil, terrain, slopes, microclimate, etc., no matter how much we invest, and try, don't you think it's likely we'd never be able to produce a Momtazi, Freedom Hill, etc.?

Think Burgundy, Jim - lots of great wines and mediocre wines made from the same small plots. Producer, producer, producer.

Tom hit it on the head. It's all about the producers AKA Burgundy Jim. He can't think with all of his hair cut off....must be a Sampson sort of thing!!

Nice article, Bill; thanks.

Jim, taste wines blind from the same vineyard in the same year from different winemakers to decide for yourself. Our experience is that Vlossak consistently makes better wines for our taste than other producers we have tried from these five vineyards. Moreover, his prices are in line with the others.

Bad for us is that Evening Land now has a monopoly on grapes from 7 Springs, which was at one time Mark's flagship wine. Dominique Lafon is a fine winemaker, but I think Mark did a better job, perhaps because he understands better the terroir.

Walter Scott also makes 7 Springs. I agree the SI 7 Springs wines are excellent.

I wonder how Walter Scott is getting them, Glenn. Didn't Evening Land get an exclusive on 7 Springs?

Stefan, you made me curious. Here is what I found on the Walter Scott website -

Seven Springs Vineyard
Eola-Amity Hills AVA
Rajat Parr & Sashi Mormon

Widely considered one of the best vineyards in the Willamette Valley, and certainly in 2014 with Ryan Hannaford at the helm, it is amazing. We were honored to be selected to work with this famed vineyard, one of only a few wineries in the Valley, thanks to Rajat Parr for believing in what we are doing and trusting us with this fruit. Walter Scott sources one acre from the original 1984 plantings of un-grafted Pinot Noir vines found in the lower half of the vineyard.

JimHow wrote:So why do we say we love "St. Innocent" when really we should be saying we love "Momtazi," "Freedom Hill," etc., etc.

Huh?

JCNorthway wrote:Stefan, you made me curious. Here is what I found on the Walter Scott website -
Walter Scott sources one acre from the original 1984 plantings of un-grafted Pinot Noir vines found in the lower half of the vineyard.

Formerly known as Anden. I have some 14 but have not tasted one. Appears 15 will be the last vintage of the old vines due to phylloxera.

stefanJr told me long ago that Anden and Seven Springs are basically the same vineyard. I checked the web just now and found

Situated on a steep, southeast slope, Anden Vineyard used to be a part of the larger Seven Springs Vineyard. In 2001, the owners divided the vineyard, designating the older, original block that is a bit lower on the hill, Anden. Overlooking the Willamette Valley and sheltered from ocean winds Anden's shallow clay over fractured rock decrease vigor and create a lush, concentrated Pinot Noir with aromas of red and black fruits and black pepper.

Glenn, did the owner rename Anden as Seven Springs in 2014?

Mark used to make both Anden and Seven Springs. When he lost Seven Springs, I guess he either lost Anden as well or decided not to bother with it. He used to make both an Anden and a Seven Springs.

I believe the entire vineyard has been called 7 Springs post 06

Anden is a contraction of the owner's children Andrew and Denise. I believe they were the ones who severed the vineyard agreements with the other wineries once Tarlov made his offer.

All that craziness. I like the Bordeaux model, where the vintners use their estate grapes.

You mean the model where the owners can buy more property to make more classified-growth wine, Arv?

Thanks, Glenn. The last SI Anden I have is from '06.

Tom In DC wrote:You mean the model where the owners can buy more property to make more classified-growth wine, Arv?

Aren't there situations where famous estates buy land outside of their home commune that they can include in the Grand Vin?

Tom In DC wrote:You mean the model where the owners can buy more property to make more classified-growth wine, Arv?

La Fleur Petrus, we're looking at you!

Blanquito wrote:

Tom In DC wrote:You mean the model where the owners can buy more property to make more classified-growth wine, Arv?

Aren't there situations where famous estates buy land outside of their home commune that they can include in the Grand Vin?

If you are talking about Burgundy, not so much. The closest that it gets is a vineyard buy surrounding areas of contiguous vines such as when Les Gaudichots was incorporated into La Tâche.

http://winehog.org/vosne-romanee-les-gaudichots-16919/