The St. Innocent 2007 Pinot Noir Temperance Hill Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills AVA (13.5%) is one of my new favorites from this vintage. In the glass, this Oregon pinot noir was a clear, ruby red color delivering a wonderful combination of red berry fruit, earth and spice. On the palate, there was terrific acidity in this wine with a nice mouthfeel. A very slight sourness in the finish will hopefully disappear with time. Overall, this Eola-Amity Hills wine was a delicious pairing to our dinner of pasta with tomato sauce and a butter leaf lettuce salad with chopped Breton ham...

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Posted by Thad W. at 08:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the glass, the St. Innocent 2007 Chardonnay Freedom Hill Vineyard Willamette Valley (%) was a clear, light yellow color with hints of pear, minerals, and lemon on the nose. I really enjoyed this Oregon chardonnay, which offered terrific acidity and mineral characteristics along with an ever so slightly creamy texture in the finish. We enjoyed this wine over two consecutive dinners, one a homemade chicken pot pie and the other pasta aioli. At $23, the St. Innocent chardonnay offers a decent quality-to-price ratio, one that would prompt me to pick up another bottle or two. Related Links St....

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Posted by Thad W. at 09:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The St. Innocent 2007 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (13.5%) was a deep garnet red in the glass, offering bright and pungent blackberry and black cherry fruit with hints of strawberry to the nose. In the mouth, the St. Innocent Shea pinot was light and crisp, but lacking flavors of fruit that one would expect. It was a bit flat and watery overall, with a slight, lingering finish of cherry fruit. We paired this Oregon pinot noir with a grilled NY strip steak (seasoned with salt/pepper) that was cooked medium rare, sliced, and then placed on top of...

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Posted by Thad W. at 08:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the glass, the St. Innocent 2007 Villages Cuvée Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (13.5%) is a clear, light ruby red with strawberry and fruit notes leading to hints of menthol. This is a very food friendly wine in terms of its acidity. Fruit flavors were a bit toned down, but it offered a nice long cherry finish that wasn't candied like other Oregon pinot noirs can be. We paired the St. Innocent pinot noir with braised chicken thighs that were cooked in a single pot with white onions, fennel, cherry tomatoes, and fresh herbs. This delicious meal was served...

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Posted by Thad W. at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD) When buying wine at retail, I frequently shop at Esquin Wine Merchants, where one of the better selections of Oregon wines can be found here in Seattle. A while back I was in the pinot noir aisle when Jerry appeared to help me out with my shopping. Jerry, who retired from Esquin last December, has played a key role in steering me to new discoveries over the years, with this shopping trip being no exception. After asking Jerry what was drinking well in the 2005 Oregon pinot noir line up, he promptly reached...

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Posted by Thad W. at 02:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)