Tag: oregon wine

St. Innocent Zenith Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2010

A striking, but simple label. A memorable name. A location far removed from most other Willamette Valley wineries.

I doubt that St. Innocent’s name has anything to do with its Salem, Oregon location, but that’s how I remember it. “I’m innocent!” the alleged witch pleads. And yes, I know that THAT Salem is in Massachusetts, but this is how my mind works.

I don’t recall where I first had a St. Innocent Pinot Noir, but I remember being captivated. Really bright red fruit – cherries and strawberries. Plush tannins. High acidity. Refreshing and beautiful.

At this stage, I know that quality Oregon pinot noir can age well. This is just the latest example.

Pale ruby color, just the faintest of garnet at the rim. Very pronounced red fruit flavors, violets and light cedar and cinnamon aromas. A bit of Cherry Cola.

In the mouth, just delicious. Really beautiful, velvety, still very nice fruit, but that extra special something that age can provide: leather, mushrooms, leaves. And the wine still has wonderful length, with waves of flavors. I want to call in sick for work tomorrow, sit in my La-Z-Boy and finish this bottle while reading a novel.

Can OR Pinot Noir Age? Yup!

My wine collection is part investment, part experiment.

I want to understand HOW wines age by tasting them AS they age.

For more than a decade, I bought wine online (from big retailers or direct from the wineries) and stored them at a facility in Portland, Oregon. For years and years and years, I only made deposits – never withdrawals. Why? Because I was living in Asia. Shipment costs, questionable storage/transport and import tariffs on alcohol all made unfeasible for me to taste these wines I’d been buying.

In late 2018, I moved back to the USA (after 20 years in Asia!) and immediately started the experiment. I’ve got a LOT of Oregon Pinot Noir’s from 2008 and up. Do they age well? Or does the more fruit-forward style doom them to mediocrity with the passage of time?

Based on my experience so far, I can say the following with confidence: the best OR Pinot Noirs taste phenomenal, even a decade later. First, I tried two 2008 pinots side by side: the Beaux Freres Vineyard and an Archery Summit. Both are critically acclaimed wineries but the BF was my BFF. Later, when I briefly discussed my experiment with Roland Solles (winemaker at Argyle and ROCO), he smiled knowingly. (I’ve got some old ROCO somewhere in the pile of boxes so I can’t wait to see how Mr. Solles’ wines fared!)

Today, I’m trying the 2012 Walter Scott Cuvee Ruth from the Willamette Valley (13.6% ABV). Still medium purple in color, the wine smells fresh – crushed cherries and that telltale mustiness and earthiness of aged Pinot Noir. In the mouth, it feels light, with a tantalizing acidity. I bought 4 bottles of this upon release at US$30/bottle.

It’s very enjoyable. The length is provided by the cherries and the tongue-tingle. Considering the price and its age, it tastes fantastic.