St. Innocent thread

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Mon Jul 06, 2020 5:35 pm

Since a number of us are SI fans, I am stating a SI thread to combine notes and comments.

2013 Zenith Vineyard. Zenith is the old O’Connor vineyard and was replanted with the ownership change. The nose has nice spice, a hint of celery, red fruit and forest floor. There is plenty of lemony acidity in the explosive mouthful with secondary development showing mushrooms. Medium bodied with a very long finish, it should get better over the next few years.

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Mon Jul 06, 2020 5:55 pm

Thanks, Glenn. I will consider this the source of my St. Innocent education since I've been wanting to start purchasing some of their wines.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Mon Jul 06, 2020 8:08 pm

I've made many posts on SI wines, but apparently not one on 2013 Zenith. The 2013 have just begun to be attractive for drinking IMO. This is one vintage where SI PNs were not sufficiently fruity to be good young.

I am sipping on 2017 SI Freedom Hill Chardonnay while finishing my lunch of leftover grilled shrimp. I like SI PNs much more than SI Chardonnay, but the FH Chard is fine for throwing down. It also ages well, so if you pack some away and forget about them you are rewarded. OTOH, they are not good enough to waste storage space on if you have limited open spots. The 2017 seems to be somewhat lower in acid than usual, but maybe that is because it is rather sweet. It has good holding power and also some minerals. I expect it will improve for several years.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Mon Jul 06, 2020 8:10 pm

I agree on this 13 not being fruit heavy. In fact until the body fills out with some air the acid is rather tart then it becomes more balanced.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 1:12 am

Following Glenn's lead, I opened a 2013 SI Zenith tonight to drink with baked chicken, tabouleh, and green beans. Glenn's description is very good except that I don't get celery. Mine has the balance of a mature wine, which is not surprising because I stored it at 65-67F, but the resolved tannins are firm. It should provide good drinking over the next ten years at least.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 3:02 am

That 12 Momtazi I had from 375 recently was a real head-turner. Riper than I expect SI to be, but none the worse for its overt hedonism.

Can’t wait for fall shipping weather so I can take delivery of my 5 bottles of the 99 Shea.

William P · Post by **William P** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 1:08 pm

Blanquito wrote:That 12 Momtazi I had from 375 recently was a real head-turner. Riper than I expect SI to be, but none the worse for its overt hedonism.

Patrick, 2012 was a hedonist year for the entire region.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 2:32 pm

stefan wrote:Following Glenn's lead, I opened a 2013 SI Zenith tonight to drink with baked chicken, tabouleh, and green beans. Glenn's description is very good except that I don't get celery. Mine has the balance of a mature wine, which is not surprising because I stored it at 65-67F, but the resolved tannins are firm. It should provide good drinking over the next ten years at least.

I do notice the celery or dill note in some younger vintages from SI. It does recede and integrate over time. Maybe it is just something I am sensitive to, unlike my inability to detect pepper in most Syrah.

Jay Winton · Post by **Jay Winton** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 2:33 pm

I opened an 08 Zenith recently. Drinking well with plenty of life left. Father Stefan made me buy a number of 08 Innocents.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 4:57 pm

Ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis in nomine יהוה, my son Mr. Vino. Your penance is to drink and report in this thread on an '08 SI PN.

Winona Chief · Post by **Winona Chief** » Sat Jul 11, 2020 3:30 pm

Nice showing by the 2015 St. Innocent Temperance Hill at a July 4th outdoor gathering. Great fruit but not too much. Delicious!

Chris Bublitz

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:57 pm

Tonight we'll drink 2008 St Innocent Momtazi with grilled steelhead. It shows tart red cranberries on first sip. More later.

I think Mark's Momtazi improved quite a lot since 2008. More recent SI Momtazi have an attractive dustiness and are fuller. 2008 was a great vintage in the Willamette Valley and the 2008 Momtazi is very good, but less impressive than e.g. 2008 SI Shea, which shines with layers of various fruits and sticks in your mouth like taffy. I like the tart red cranberry taste of the 2008 Momtazi that stays the same throughout a meal, and it goes very well with steelhead.

We have, unfortunately, drunk most of our 2008 SI PN, but among those left are a couple of bottles of the 2008 Momtazi Special Selection. I should let them sleep a few more years.

William P · Post by **William P** » Mon Jul 13, 2020 1:38 am

For any BWErs who make it to the Willamette Valley in the future, Momtazi is a beautiful winery and well worth the a visit. There are many wineries with beautiful settings, but so far Momtazi has the most scenic location.

Bill

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sun Jul 19, 2020 1:20 am

Tonight with leftover eggplant parmigiana and veal we are drinking 2016 SI Temperance Hill. The bouquet hits you hard and is consistent with the wild strawberry and red raspberry flavors that are accented with a touch of road tar. It is pretty sticky, too.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Thu Jul 30, 2020 11:52 pm

Tonight I drank 2011 SI Momtazi. On the plus side, it has a nice cranberry taste and pepper on the sides. However, I have not liked any 2011 Oregon PN. They are too thin and acidic, like red Burgundy used to be in lesser vintages. Some who love Oregon pinot noir, including some Oregon winemakers, consider 2011 to be a good vintage for PN. I am not one of these people. For my taste, in this millennium only 2007 is a worse vintage.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Fri Jul 31, 2020 3:00 pm

Not SI, but last night was 2008 Le Cadeau Rocheux. Just spectacular, one of the best mature OR PN I have consumed.

I find 08 to be drinking well now. It may be time to check on some more 11's.

Chateau Vin · Post by **Chateau Vin** » Tue Aug 04, 2020 5:14 pm

Stefan et al...

stefan mentioned that he likes both 2014 and 2016 vintages of st innocent, but slightly prefers 2014 to 2016. I was wondering if stefan et al, in your opinion, can shed light about 2012 and 2015 vintages and where they stand in the pecking order when compared to 2014 and 2016...

Also does your pecking order change if the bottling is Momtazi and Zenith?

Thanks...

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Aug 04, 2020 7:37 pm

CV, my personal preference is 2012, 2014, 2016, 2015, but I am happy to own them all, and the order might well change in time. I place 2013 behind these and 2011 well behind 2013. I have not thought about the orderings for Momtazi and Zenith by themselves, but am reasonably sure that they would not differ much from the above general order. I like SI PN very much and generally make a mental note only when I am let down by one.

Last night I drank 2012 Shea Special Selection and am finishing the bottle now while having lunch leftover from yesterday's dinner (chicken breast and mushrooms over pasta). Not surprisingly, the oak is still overt, but the fruit is powerful enough that I do not mind. My guess is that this wine will peak in 5-10 years, but it is so attractive now that I will continue to open some but I will save 6 or 8 for drinking during its peak years.

Chateau Vin · Post by **Chateau Vin** » Tue Aug 04, 2020 7:45 pm

Excellent stefan. I appreciate your take on SI...

On a different note, SI sent an emailer for their 2008 library wines. They cost an arm...

They are asking 240/bottle for their 08 special selection versions...wow...

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Aug 04, 2020 7:51 pm

Yeah, I got one, too, CV. I would like to have more 2008s, but those prices give me pause. I wonder if Mark would trade me some in exchange for 2011s.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:48 am

Tonight I drank 2016 SI Zenith with grilled chicken thighs, tabouleh, and corn on the cob. The Zenith was bright, pure, and straightforward. The tart cranberry fruit is fresh. A bit too acidic with the chicken, it would match well with a fatty salmon and is good with dark chocolate. These 2016s Willamette PNs might not close down.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Tue Aug 11, 2020 1:41 am

Bill, have you tried any of those 98 Sheas yet?

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Aug 11, 2020 7:28 pm

No, Patrick. I won't take delivery until late autumn.

BTW: SI currently has a good offer on a bundle of 2016 and 2017 Temperance Hill. I have not tasted the 2017, but the 2016 is very good. It did not show well at release IMO and perhaps did not sell well. I've had it a couple of times during Covid times and was happy to buy 6 more at a bargain price.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Sun Sep 20, 2020 2:45 pm

My last 02 Anden, the lower portion of Seven Springs which was planted in 1982. Fully mature with mushroom and earthy savoryness. Well balanced with guiding acidity and a long finish. Especially nice with pan seared morels.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sun Sep 20, 2020 3:54 pm

Wish I had more 2002 SI. stefanJr still has a few, but we cannot get to Oregon for a while.

2015 St Innocent Momtazi. I was afraid that it would be closed, but no, the berry nose is there and the fruit is good. No Momtazi dustiness yet.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 1:56 pm

I Repoured 1/4 bottle of 2016 Justice a few days ago. Last night Lucie and I started with small glasses of it. It is an excellent example of Justice, with dark fruit and asphalt. We then drank 2016 Zenith, which is also lovely but very different. This bottle was just like the one we drank a month ago: "The Zenith was bright, pure, and straightforward. The tart cranberry fruit is fresh."

Probably in ten years I will be moaning that we should have saved more of our 2016s, but they are so good now that I have trouble keeping my hands off of them.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Sep 30, 2020 2:42 pm

Last night we drank another bottle of 2016 SI Temperance Hill. This time the wine had a very distinctive and powerful entry of blackberries and black cherries (rather than red fruit) mixed with road tar that shocked our palates. Swishing brought out similar flavors in the mid palate. While very good and interesting, it is one 2016 SI that should be held. I am puzzled that this bottle was so different from the one we drank three months ago. The common feature is the road tar, which I presume comes from the basalt in the soil of TH. Maybe our different perception is do to the food. Last night we ate roasted chicken while with the previous bottle we had eggplant parmigiana and veal.

jal · Post by **jal** » Wed Sep 30, 2020 3:33 pm

I got my case today. Looking forward to a 2016 Zenith with lamb chops tonight. Report to come

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:09 pm

I have my opinion about that match, Jacques, and look forward to getting yours.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Thu Oct 01, 2020 1:36 am

I have tasted 2014 Shea once and my experience with later vintages is nonexistent.

Tonight I opened 2011 Vitae Springs. This is normally the base wine for Villages Cuvee along with young vine SVD.

Red fruit, mushroom and savory spices on the nose with a hint of herb that later recedes. Initially lots of acidity and lean body which fills out with air. Cranberry and earth in the mouth complete the impression. Good finish. Drinking well with air now.

jal · Post by **jal** » Thu Oct 01, 2020 1:19 pm

2016 Zenith with rack of lamb and roasted potatoes; this wine is bright with excellent vibrant and juicy red fruit, this is earthy, focused and well structured but with a great balance and a long finish. Actually, the things that strike me more here than anything are the juiciness of the fruit and the impeccable balance. It paired really well with the Australian rack of lamb. I think it will improve with a few years; I expect the fruit to mellow and the earthiness to be a bit more pronounced but it is delicious to drink young.

Now compared to a Bourgogne, I would say the difference is in the fruit (more) and refinement (less).

You guys can keep your Beaujolais, for the same price, imo, this wine runs circles around any Foillard, Lapierre, Thivin, etc...

BTW, the winery shipped it to me in a 10 day FedEx cold storage shipment. Apparently it goes from one cold truck to another for 10 days and arrives before 10:30 am at destination as to not sit on a hot truck all day on delivery date. I had not seen this before and was very please with the shipment.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Oct 01, 2020 2:06 pm

I'm looking for that mixed case list you bought, Jacques....

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Oct 01, 2020 2:40 pm

Found it. Just ordered a mixed case.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 1:04 am

Glenn, is it OK to post on other Oregon wines in this thread?

Tonight I opened a 2014 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir to drink with sautéed mushrooms over turnip mashed potatoes. This is a blend rather than a single vineyard wine. My first impression was that it contained so much candied fruit that I must have opened a CA PN by mistake. It got better, but this wine is worse than all other OR PNs I have drunk in the last year, which is to say that it is a decent wine. SI's blended PN, Village Cuvee, is decidedly better and costs 1/3 less.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 3:56 am

With duck legs braised with vegetables we drank 2012 SI Zenith Special Selection. This is very pure and bright, with flavors of red raspberries, strawberries. Excellent for the vineyard and drinking well already; more mature than the Shea.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 2:25 pm

Felice confirmed she's shipping out my mixed case order of:

2015 Freedom Hill x 3
2016 Justice x 1
2016 Momtazi x 6
2016 Temperance Hill x 1
2016 Zenith x 1

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 3:27 pm

So Jim, is that the "club" case that comes twice a year, or were you able to pick the wines you wanted without being a club member?

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 3:33 pm

Yes that right, Jon, I'm not a club member, you get 15% off if you order a mixed case of 12 bottles.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Sun Oct 11, 2020 3:17 pm

stefan wrote:Glenn, is it OK to post on other Oregon wines in this thread?

Tonight I opened a 2014 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir to drink with sautéed mushrooms over turnip mashed potatoes. This is a blend rather than a single vineyard wine. My first impression was that it contained so much candied fruit that I must have opened a CA PN by mistake. It got better, but this wine is worse than all other OR PNs I have drunk in the last year, which is to say that it is a decent wine. SI's blended PN, Village Cuvee, is decidedly better and costs 1/3 less.

This thread is open to all Oregon wines.

William P · Post by **William P** » Sun Oct 11, 2020 3:40 pm

I had the 2013 Shea last night. For me the 2013 has been a problem child since its release. It was rough and disjointed. Finally last night the wine had melded and was drinking beautifully. I was showing some signs of maturity but it was far from over the hill. No formal notes but it is in a much better place than it was upon release.

Regarding Penner Ash, it's always been on the heavy extraction side. Further it's always over-priced. It is now owned by the Jackson Family Wines who first brought you Kendall Jackson Chard. As I recall from my last visit, they own at least three Willamette wineries.

Bil