St. Innocent thread

Jay Winton · Post by **Jay Winton** » Thu Jul 15, 2021 6:47 pm

2008 Momtazi purchased with the 2008 Zenith. Served with King Salmon. This was a delicious bottle of wine. Everything in proportion and probably as good as it will get. I thought the 08 Zenith, while good, was past it a bit. Not this bottle and it quickly evaporated.

Jay Winton · Post by **Jay Winton** » Sun Jul 25, 2021 5:13 pm

Another 2008 Zenith last night. Much better than the previous bottle. No great wines only great bottles.

AKR · Post by **AKR** » Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:08 am

For fans of OR pinot, this hour+ long podcast with Ken Wright is well worth the listen. I played it while on a bike ride this morning and it was very educational. Wright seems to have been involved in the region since very early on and has helped shape the various AVAs.

https://www.vinography.com/2019/04/ill_ ... nemaker_ke

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Thu Aug 05, 2021 12:09 am

I avoided drinking 2015 SI's for a while because some were closed. Tonight I opened a 2015 SI Innocent that was open, preferring instead to drink 2016s when I wanted a young SI PN. It tastes of tart strawberries and cranberries. It went very well with Lucie's King Salmon crab cakes.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Fri Aug 13, 2021 12:34 am

I drank another 2016 SI Zenith tonight with pork chops. This is arguably the best ever Zenith. Cranberries, wild strawberries, touch of road tar, ... I would be happy to drink a bottle every couple of months over the next ten years.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Fri Aug 13, 2021 12:57 am

Normally when Lucie is not drinking I Repour a newly opened bottle after drinking 1/3 - 1/2 of it during dinner. Don't think I will use Repour tonight. I should save a glass for lunch tomorrow, but this princess is so seductive that I probably will not be able to restrain myself from finishing the bottle.

SherilynDominion · Post by **SherilynDominion** » Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:51 am

Interesting.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 11:49 pm

2013 SI Freedom Hill PN with bluefin tuna sashimi. Grown on sedimentary soil.

Medium bodied with red fruit, earth, a bit of iron and balancing acidity. Ready to go now and will hold at least 5 years.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sat Jan 08, 2022 1:26 am

Time for this thread to move up! We have drunk a lot of Oregon nes since the last post on the thread. Today, back in Texas, I had a glass of 2016 SI Freedom Hill PN. What a nice wine this is. Concentrated with black fruit, some basalt, and good finish.

With pan seared red snapper for dinner Lucie and I drank 2019 Domaine Drouhin Arthur Chardonnay. Sure, this wine will develop and improve for one or two blanquitoes, but for now it is just a great throw-down chard for a good piece of fish. You can find it at $32, which is what I think I paid as a top tier club member.

William P · Post by **William P** » Thu Apr 07, 2022 7:55 pm

News from Oregon. The relatively new winery Lingua Franca (Larry Stone project) announced that it had been purchased by Constellation Brands. I assume that Larry and crew would have preferred to stay independent but sales weren't sufficient to cover expenses, especially given the disaster of 2020. I like their style and wines but found there are far better values in the Willamette Valley.

Had the 2017 St. Innocent Freedom Pinot last night, it took about two hours to open, but it impressed me.

Bill

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Thu Apr 07, 2022 10:55 pm

We drank a 2015 SI Shea the other night. It has now opened up. It still has quite a way to go to reach maturity, but it is pleasurable to drink currently.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Thu May 12, 2022 11:59 pm

Tonight we are drinking 2016 SI Justice with chicken schnitzel. This is a "wow" Justice. Concentrated black raspberries laced with volcanic ash are just what you expect after one sniff. When I drink an Oregon PN like this one, I wonder why I bother searching for quality GC Burgundies that cost only 4 times as much. I should instead buy four times as many bottles of the OR PN that I like.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Fri May 13, 2022 1:12 pm

I was psyched to open a 2008 Momtazi SS on the tail end of my recently acquired Covid. I lost my sense of taste and smell Wednesday, so no go!

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Fri May 13, 2022 1:27 pm

Oh, too bad, Glenn. Hope your senses return to normal quickly.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Fri May 13, 2022 1:36 pm

Nice. I uncorked a 2018 Momtazi and 2014 Stony Hill with lobster last night for a family birthday party....

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Fri May 13, 2022 2:36 pm

I wonder why I bother searching for quality GC Burgundies that cost only 4 times as much. I should instead buy four times as many bottles of the OR PN that I like.

I can relate to that, Stefan. With the incessant price increases on red Burgundy wines, I have been focusing more on Oregon Pinots. In fact I don't think I've purchased anything other than Bourgogne level Burgundy wines for at least 5 years.

Jay Winton · Post by **Jay Winton** » Fri May 13, 2022 3:21 pm

JimHow wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 1:36 pm Nice. I uncorked a 2018 Momtazi and 2014 Stony Hill with lobster last night for a family birthday party....

I believe they call it LOBSTAH in Maine.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Fri May 13, 2022 3:29 pm

JimHow wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 8:36 am
Nice. I uncorked a 2018 Momtazi and 2014 Stony Hill with lobster last night for a family birthday party....
I believe they call it LOBSTAH in Maine.

Ayuh!

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Mon May 23, 2022 8:30 pm

I have had mixed experiences on about 10 bottles of 2010 Evesham Wood Les Puits Sec PN. A bottle shared with William P. 5 years ago was fantastic. Another bottle had tart acidity. The last few bottles have been very good, and the latest was really good.

Light bodied and red fruited with nice savory notes and some tertiaries. Close to peak drinking window and should hold on for a few more years.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Mon May 23, 2022 8:36 pm

Happily my Covid loss of sense of smell and taste has passed. Last week with about 85% sensory ability I opened 2008 SI Momtazi Special Selection.

I find Momtazi to be fuller bodied and different than my preferred sites in Eola-Amity Hills. I have not been wowed by Momtazi prior to this bottle. The 2008 SS made a very good impression and made my tastebuds tingle in a way most wines do not. I fondly remember 1989 Beaucastel doing the taste bud dance and some other wines. I enjoyed this bottle very much even with diminished tasting ability.

Now I get Momtazi!

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Tue May 24, 2022 12:05 am

Glad to hear that your smell and taste have recovered Glenn. Took over a year for my wife, and she still has occasional olfactory distortion.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue May 24, 2022 12:28 am

Welcome back, Glenn. Losing your senses is no fun.

It also took me a while to appreciate Momtazi. Now I love it.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Tue May 24, 2022 1:35 pm

Thank you, David and stefan. More mature SI to come in the next couple of weeks.

RPCV · Post by **RPCV** » Tue May 24, 2022 4:56 pm

I never had a St. Innocent Pinot before and based on this thread I asked the local retailer to bring in a few bottles. I tasted 2017 Freedom Hill, 2017 Temperance Hill, 2016 Zenith and 2015 Shea. Either I do not like this style or the wines were cooked. Super closed on the nose (almost reduced with a burnt rubber/coffee ground aroma) and they never did open over three days. Dense mouthfeel, almost Gevrey-like, with some tannin but these wines lacked charm. Must have been cooked. I'll try to source a couple of other bottles from an out-of-state retailer and give them a try.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Tue May 24, 2022 6:10 pm

Too bad. Burnt and roasted, they sound baked.

jal · Post by **jal** » Tue May 24, 2022 6:33 pm

RPCV, I think you're better off just getting the winery to ship you a case. When I bought from them, they used 10 day shipping in refrigerated trucks for a reasonable shipping fee.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue May 24, 2022 6:57 pm

Too bad, RPCV. The cross section you drank are all good wines. The 2017s drink very well young, and Temperance Hill is particularly good that year with black fruit, charcoal, and volcanic ash (but maybe you do not like those in Pinot Noir).

RPCV · Post by **RPCV** » Tue May 24, 2022 7:16 pm

jal wrote: ↑Tue May 24, 2022 6:33 pm RPCV, I think you're better off just getting the winery to ship you a case. When I bought from them, they used 10 day shipping in refrigerated trucks for a reasonable shipping fee.

Thank you Jacques. I took your advice and have a mixed case on the way. Super nice people at the winery.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue May 24, 2022 7:21 pm

Well done, RP. Jacques’s advice is sound. I order a mixed case once a year. You are right, they are very friendly there and the service is usually A+, the wines are delivered as promised.

RPCV · Post by **RPCV** » Tue May 24, 2022 7:24 pm

Had them throw in a Chardonnay...just for fun. It was described it as Chablis-like, which I find intriguing. Love me some Chablis.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue May 24, 2022 8:11 pm

I ordered three of their Chardonnays in my last order based on William P’s recommendation, uncorked one, loved it! A revelation, as Comte would say.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue May 24, 2022 9:42 pm

Interesting about the Chard. I think Mark's best white is the Pinot Blanc. His Chardonnay is OK, but I much prefer Goodfellow's. 'Course all SI wine is very well made and from good grapes, so personal preference plays a large role here.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Wed May 25, 2022 12:03 am

Yes, the Pinot Blanc is very nice, although I have not had one in a while.

I used to enjoy the Pinot Gris and Villages Cuvee. Are they both out of the lineup now?

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed May 25, 2022 1:36 am

Yes, Mark wanted to cut back, Glenn.

jal · Post by **jal** » Wed May 25, 2022 5:13 am

Good luck RPCV, now at least you'll be able to tell if you like the style or not.
Personally, I do love St. Innocent but I prefer regular Bourgogne and Villages Pinot Noir so I stopped buying.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Sun Jun 12, 2022 11:03 pm

Two more from SI this month.

2008 Shea Special Selection needed 2+ hours in the decanter for the heavy funk to blow off. It morphed into a fullish bodied PN with more time to go.

This weekend 2002 Seven Springs is just delightful. It reminds me of a 1er Volnay. Lighter in body, tertiary and at peak. My last bottle sadly.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sun Jun 12, 2022 11:08 pm

000h! 2002 7 Springs SS! Really nice.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Jun 14, 2022 12:09 am

Right now I am drinking 2014 SI Momtazi with chicken & mushrooms in a white wine sauce. I gave it three+ hours of air to bring out the dusty quality. The volcanic soil comes through well in this vintage. The tannins are still ahead of the black fruit, but this Momtazi is a pleasure to drink now even if it will be better in five years.

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Tue Jun 28, 2022 7:56 pm

https://www.cru-domaine.com/product/st- ... ry-ticket/

Something I stumbled upon for you St. Innocent fans. Looks interesting. Nearest to Stefan and Lucie, assuming you guys are in Oregon this time of the year.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Jun 28, 2022 11:08 pm

Thanks, Joel. We'll be back home when this event occurs. It should be a fun tasting.