TN: 2005 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Anden (USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley)

• 2005 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Anden - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (5/9/2011)
  Consumed over 2 days. Darker ruby color. Full, evocative nose of cinnamon, marionberry, thyme, rose petal. On the palate, lush red raspberry and black cherry fruit plus an interesting hint of red earth layering over a nicely-structured backbone. Moderate acidity balancing well with filed-off tannins leading to a long finish marked by primary fruit and a bit of mineral. Pure and deftly-crafted wine caught quite early in its drinking window. (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Thanks for the note. No doubt the 2005 will be very good down the road.

Glenn,

It’s a keeper. I look forward to sampling another in about 2 to 3 years.

Cheers,
Doug

Sounds good. I’ve always liked Anden. The 2008 was tight as a drum, but should be awesome in another 3-4 years.

Dan the 2006 was the last St I Anden IIRC.

Knowing the structured nature of this part of the hill I have not opened any bottles from my cellar that has depth to 2002 in Anden. That 2002 was really tight when I tried it after release.

A bit of a thread drift, but any thoughts on the 2005 St. Innocent Shea? I’ve been sitting on several bottles since release. I tasted it then, and it needed serious time, so I’ve not touched them since. I know I should just open one and see where it’s at, but there are some serious Oregon Pinot folks here that might have an opinion.

It might be just me but I have detected a bit of a shift in style at St I over recent years. Seven Springs bottlings from 1999 and 2002 were somewhat tight even last year, whereas the 2005 Anden was to me more approachable this past week. Provenance is always an issue, but most of these pinots have been stored at cellar temp for most of their “lives” thus far. The vineyard characteristics differ also of course. Would appreciate other’s thoughts on this.

Long story short, I don’t think it would be completely nuts to open an '05 Shea now if you own a few.

Cheers,
Doug

Really?..Then what the hell did I have??? Whatever it was, it was good. Maybe it was Justice. Damn, guess I think twice about drinking and posting.

Joanne and I consumed another Anden Last night. In a word it was stunning, among the very best mature US PN I have tasted.

On the pop there is some OR funk and poop which both recede with airing. At peak now the texture with vibrant acidity was just perfect. Faint aromas of red fruit, then mushroom and earth fill the glass and echo in the mouth. The long finish builds with the acidity driving the train. A brilliant effort from Mark Vlossak.

We made 5 bottlings of Anden from 2002-2006. The 2006 was the best of the lot. Simply great fruit from Al McDonald that year and in a year where lots of places struggled. Miss it.

Thanks for the note! I have one bottle of 2005 St. Innocent Seven Springs, sounds like it’s time to pull the cork.

That’s a good one. Pretty sure I’ve got one bottle left. Definitely wish I’d bought more 05 OR Pinots across the board.

RT

05 has become one of my favorite OR vintages. Sevens Springs is on deck for next weekend. It should be showing really well.

Awesome! Thanks for the update. My only note is from 2008 when I didn’t love it. Time to dig one out!

Jason

We enjoyed a bottle of St. Innocent 2004 Pinot Noir Anden last week. Lots of earthy notes with some funk. Fully resolved tannins with good balance. Sweet spot for me, with no clear upside. But if you want a pure fruit-driven experience, look elsewhere at this point.
Regards,
Peter

I had this last year and it was by far the best drinking Anden I had ever had. Just pure delight IMO.

Jason

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. Really good. Especially nice with pan seared morels.