St. Innocent thread

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:39 am

We had plumbing repair done today and are back to Covid normal except that there is almost no food to be had in College Station. However, trucks are moving, and Lucie was able to get curbside delivery for Thursday. We can survive on fermented grape juice for a few days.

For dinner we ate pasta with mushrooms and drank 2015 SI Momtazi. Some 2015 OR PN are rather closed now, but this Momtazi is full of flavor and aromas, mostly of dark fruit. Momtazi dustiness has just begun. The wine will surely improve for 5-10 years at least, but it drinks very well now.

Jay Winton · Post by **Jay Winton** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:24 pm

Glad you two are ok. Texas took quite a beating with lots of unhappy Texans, and then there's Cancun Cruz.

dstgolf · Post by **dstgolf** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:48 pm

Stefan,

Glad you've come out of the deep freeze safe and sound(at least for Texans) Did you suffer from the electricity surge pricing that I've read about where one vet paid $16k for one months hydro bill and many in the thousands$$. Completely crazy! When is the good news going to start coming from at least some corner of the globe??

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Feb 24, 2021 12:05 am

Dunno yet, Danny. My guess is no, because our electricity is provided by the city. It as well as the provider for our sister city, Bryan, had plenty of power for this area. They were forced to have blackouts by ERCOT in order to be able to give electricity to the Texas grid.

Tom In DC · Post by **Tom In DC** » Fri Feb 26, 2021 4:35 am

The sky high electric bills were for people who got a contract to pay spot for all of their electricity. Most of the time, they get a great rate, well below market, since they're buying unsold electricity.

During a shortage, ....

Jay Winton · Post by **Jay Winton** » Fri Feb 26, 2021 3:15 pm

Not that this has anything to do with St Innocent but deregulating utilities is a bad idea for the consumer. It certainly didn't work in Maryland.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Mon Mar 01, 2021 3:54 pm

The 2018 Goodfellow Whistling Vineyard Chardonnay I drank over two days is as close to a Puligny as any new world Chardonnay I have drunk. I suspect that it will age well.

William P · Post by **William P** » Mon Mar 01, 2021 5:57 pm

stefan wrote: ↑Mon Mar 01, 2021 3:54 pm The 2018 Goodfellow Whistling Vineyard Chardonnay I drank over two days is as close to a Puligny as any new world Chardonnay I have drunk. I suspect that it will age well.

Thanks Bill. I'll check out his winery when I go in May.

The other Bill

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Mon Mar 01, 2021 5:59 pm

Did you purchase this from the winery? I'm curious because I only see it available from one retailer (in Portland).

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Mon Mar 01, 2021 6:47 pm

Yes, Jon. I buy directly from Marcus Goodfellow.

William P · Post by **William P** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 8:12 pm

Walter Scott sent me an email yesterday. They will sell NO pinot noir from the 2020 vintage.

Bill

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 8:33 pm

Bill, is that due to the impact of the fires?

William P · Post by **William P** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 8:45 pm

JCNorthway wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 8:33 pm Bill, is that due to the impact of the fires?

JC - Yes. Though they say their chardonnay is spectacular. Time will tell.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Mar 09, 2021 2:37 am

Tonight we drank 2017 SI Shea with a chicken and chorizo paella. Lucie like this as much as she liked the 2017 Momtazi. They are certainly good and very well balanced, but I prefer the fruitier 2016 from both vineyards. The 2017 Shea tastes purer PN than usual; of course, that might change with time. As it does not have to be either-or, I intend to order cases of both the 2017 Shea and 2017 Momtazi.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Tue Mar 09, 2021 3:14 pm

I wish I could contribute notes on recent vintages of OR PN, but I have bought just a handful of bottles post 2014 and none have been tasted.

Between 2017 and 2018, is there a consensus on which vintage is the best balanced?

Enjoying 2013 Walter Scott Vojtilla Chardonnay now. After the reduction fades this wine is showing at or near peak for me. Excellent in quality, I prefer my Chardonnay to have some development into secondary's while also retaining some of the brightness of fruit. Acidity is greatly integrated and will carry for years. It is in my zone now.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:03 am

Tonight with sautéed mushrooms and chicken over spaghetti we drank 2015 Goodfellow Fir Crest Vineyard Heritage #6. Marcus made a whopping 102 cases of this beauty. It really comes alive with slurping and back breathing. There is just a touch of asphalt and bit of dirt to accent the pure pinot flavor. My guess is that it won't be at its best until around age 15, but it provides a lot of pleasure now.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Mar 16, 2021 1:10 pm

With a seafood and corn chowder we drank 2018 Goodfellow Durant Vineyard Chardonnay. This is another winning Dundee Hills Chardonnay made by Marcus Goodfellow even if I prefer his more distinctive Whistling Ridge Chardonnay. The aroma and taste of the Durant are so pure that Lucie asked if it is unoaked.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sat Apr 24, 2021 2:17 pm

2006 St Innocent 7 Springs. This is drinking beautifully now, with dark, asphalt infused fruit and a smoky nose to match. A friend brought a 2005 Evesham Wood 7 Springs that tasted very different from the 2006 SI. The nose was pleasant but shy and the red fruit very pure. It paired better than the SI with shredded lamb, although the SI is more interesting and more flavorful.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Sat Apr 24, 2021 3:37 pm

Nice note stefan. I have 1 06 7S SS left. It is clearly marked by the hot vintage.

I am a big fan of Evesham Wood too.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sun May 02, 2021 1:55 pm

We had our first post pandemic dinner party with locals last night. The main dish was grilled salmon. I decided to display three different vintages of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir: 2013 St Innocent Temperance Hill, 2014 St Innocent Shea, and 2016 Goodfellow Whistling Ridge. The 2013 vintage in Oregon is touted by some Burgundy lovers. The fruit is not very expressive and the structure is thin. They have improved but still are a Blanquto away from being in a good spot. The Temperance Hill is disappointing in that it lacked the volcanic overtones that it often has. One guest, who drinks many different kinds of wine, liked it best. We drank the 2014 Shea next because I wanted the contrast between 2013 and 2014 to be obvious, at it was. The Shea is concentrated with dark fruit that, surprisingly, has a volcanic edge to it. The tannins are slightly gritty but the wine is nevertheless very good now even if it will improve with further cellaring. The 2016 Goodfellow, which is from the Ribbon Ridge area, is between the two SI wines in fruit and concentration. As is typical, the taste of the Goodfellow is purer than that of the SI. I think it has entered its dumb phase, so best to wait a few years for full enjoyment.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Sun May 02, 2021 6:15 pm

Last night we had 2010 Carden PN. Tertiary and savory with fine texture.

Tonight for contrast with grilled salmon we will have 2010 Evesham Wood Les Puit Sec PN.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Mon May 03, 2021 3:35 pm

2010 Evesham Wood Les Puit Sec PN was similar to 2010 Carden PN in tertiary land. Higher in acid, it really came together with the salmon and tart cherry glaze.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Mon May 03, 2021 6:02 pm

There is a great interchange between Jim Anderson (Patrica Green Cellars) and Marcus Goodfellow over at WB:

https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/vi ... 1&t=179816

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Mon May 03, 2021 6:58 pm

Thanks for pointing that out, Stefan - really interesting thread with the wine makers weighing in. Two that I like, by the way - Goodfellow and Patricia Green.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sun May 23, 2021 10:28 pm

A delightful half bottle of the 2012 SI Momtazi sitting on the front porch on a truly beautiful day in Colorado. We’ve had an epic amount of precipitation so far in 2021 (by Colorado standards) and everything is so green and lush.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Mon May 24, 2021 1:52 am

We drank a bottle of 2012 SI Momtazi last night at lake Mercer. Very Momtazi; lots of dust. We also drank 2008 Justice, which is an excellent and regal wine. It is probably my favorite from the great 2012 vintage.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue May 25, 2021 5:27 pm

I liked this bottle of 2015 St. Innocent Freedom Hill Vineyard, Stefan, it was tight at first but opened up nicely with chicken.

I just ordered a mixed case of mostly 2017 Momtazi but also a bottle each of 2016 Shea, 2016 Temperance Hill, 2016 Freedom Hill, and 2017 Justice Vineyard.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed May 26, 2021 8:21 pm

You'll be happy with all of those, Jim. In general, the 2015 SI PN are in an awkward phrase right now. The 2016 are still open, though.

I had a large glass of 2009 Shea Shea at lunch today and Repoured the rest of the bottle. It has less in front than the 2009 Si Shea but still has that big fruit bomb mouth that most of the 2009s have. Haven't has the 2009 SI Shea recently, but I remember that it is much better when mixed with the 2011 SI Shea, with 2 parts 2009 and 1 part 2011 being the best combination. I don't have 2011 Shea Shea, unfortunately.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sat May 29, 2021 12:39 am

Loving these 2016 St. Innocents, Stefan, tonight it's Zenith vineyard.
In that $38 price range (with case discount), it's pretty hard to beat these 90 point pinots from Zenith, Temperance Hill, Momtazi, Shea, etc.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sat May 29, 2021 1:22 am

One can get used to a bunch of tasty fruit in their pinot…

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sat May 29, 2021 2:09 am

Indeed... Pinot noir with fruit, that can be drunk young or with age.
These St. Innocents are very fruity and tasty, and very reasonably priced.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Mon May 31, 2021 2:32 pm

The 2017 SI Zenith is full of tart red raspberries that linger while tickling your tongue. One could easily mistake this wine for a young Morey St-Denis.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Mon May 31, 2021 6:26 pm

Any love on BWE for Vincent Oregon Pinots? Been reading some very strong copy on them over on Berserkers.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Mon May 31, 2021 9:27 pm

I have not tasted one, Patrick.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Jun 02, 2021 10:03 pm

Got my mixed case stash of St. Innocent today, right on time, as promised.
Excellent wine, excellent service, just uncorked a 2017 Momtazi on the back deck, a splendid early June evening.
Oooh beautiful youthful ripe fruit here, very enticing.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Jun 02, 2021 10:08 pm

Momtazi and roses are hard to beat.

Jay Winton · Post by **Jay Winton** » Wed Jun 09, 2021 1:01 am

2008 Zenith tonight. Fruit has faded but still a good drink. I have one bottle left and I will drink it soon. Bottle was in good shape but the cork was in pieces but not saturated. I hate corks.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Jun 09, 2021 1:36 am

I've decided I'm just going to buy a mixed case -- or two -- of St. Innocent each year, it seems to be consistently excellent vintage after vintage.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 11:24 pm

With grilled King salmon we had a number of wines, including two St Innocent Special Selection: 2017 Freedom Hill and 2012 Shea. Both are wonderful now even both will get better. The Shea is fullish with great balance and depth. The FH is as bright as the Texas sky. Some SI SS bottlings, especially in older vintages, have seen too much oak, IMO, but there is no woodiness in the two we drank last night.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 11:33 pm

Mmmm baby doll, St. Innocent + King Salmon.
I have a bottle or two of the 2017 Freedom Hill in my latest stash.