One of the first areas planted to vines in the Willamette Valley, Shea Vineyard is known as a "Grand Cru" site. With soils composed of sedimentary soil over fractured sandstone, it brings forth wines that rival the great crus of Burgundy's Côte d'Or. When fruit from such a vineyard is put into the hands of master craftsman Mark Vlossak, the results are nothing short of spectacular!

Mark Vlossak founded St. Innocent Winery in 1988 to make Burgundian-style pinot noirs that were pure expressions of fruit and terroir. While he has always used oak to age some of the wines, he has done so judiciously so that consumers taste the wine, not the oak. Freshness and elegance rather than over-extracted fruit and oak characters are the hallmarks of his cuvées, and his winemaking sensibilities are on display with today's offer.

Aged for 16 months in a combination of new (26%) and seasoned oak barrels for 16 months, the 2019 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Shea's Vineyard "has dried floral, berry, and sweet earth aromas with allspice and white pepper. On the palate, the floral notes are mixed with a mélange of wild berries, fresh cranberry, dried strawberry, and ground sweet spices. These layered flavors extend into the wine's long finish." (from winery notes)

Check out the press!

93+ points, Vinous:
"Depths of crushed ashen stones and grilled herbs give way to zests of tangerine and sour cherry as the 2019 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard comes to life in the glass. This is silky-smooth but it steps lightly, seeming to hover across the palate with ripe wild berry fruits and a hint of inner cedar. Minty herbal tones resonate with a note of cocoa as the 2019 finishes long, juicy, and wickedly fresh. It's almost impossible to stop at just one glass." 

93 points, Wine Enthusiast:
"A really intriguing mix of red fruit and tangerines highlight an aromatic set that also features touches of leather and loamy soil. All the raspberry flavor you can handle is on tap, along with tastes of smoked almonds and citrus. The wine’s juicy acidity is matched by significant tannic structure."

93 points, Wine & Spirits:
"Burly and supremely flavorful, Shea vineyard fruit plays to Mark Vlossak’s strengths, making for a dark spicy wine with Dr. Pepper scents, hints of sassafras and carob, ushered along by assertive oak notes. The palate is vinous but velvety, packed with flavor yet delivered with surprising precision." 

ABV: 13.5%