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2001 Pinot Gris, Shea Vineyard
Release Date: 3/1/03 Retail Price: $20/750ml Availability: 281 cases Production Notes Shea Vineyard is located in the Yamhill foothills, 35 miles southwest of Portland, Oregon. The Pinot gris was planted in 1990 on a steep hillside of shallow Willakenzie soil. It has a southwest exposure at an elevation of 350' and is 2.38 acres in size (one hectare). This Pinot gris was picked at 24.1 degrees brix with no botrytis. After whole cluster pressing, the juice was fermented 80% in tank and 20% in new French barrels. The wine was bottled after 13 months of lees aging. |
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Winemaker Notes
The raw material from Shea Vineyard's Pinot gris vines is exceptional. The 2001 vintage was picked at a potential alcohol of 14% and fermented dry. The flavors and the concentration are unusually intense from this great Pinot gris site. My winemaking style focuses on building texture and complexity into the wine. By fermenting 20% of the juice in new wood, another layer of texture is added. The wine is aged for 14 months (most Pinot gris are bottled 4-8 months after harvest) and this additional time lets the wine evolve more completely before bottling.
Tasting Notes
Shea Vineyard produced St. Innocent's richest and most textural Pinot gris. Aromas of white fruits - peaches, kiwi, melon, and pineapple are layered with intense spice. The flavors of fruit and spice are enhanced by the wine's depth of flavor and complexity on your palate.
My Alsatian winemaking hero, Andre Ostertag, speaks of how great Pinot gris moves on your palate. The Shea moves laterally over your palate and the place you taste it is constantly changing. Try it in comparison to the Vitae Springs Pinot gris, which is a much more linear wine, and you can experience the textural differences.
The finish is long, with spice and lingering hints of dried fruit. I expect this Pinot gris to continue to develop over several years. There are no old Pinot gris from this site, however the 1998 Shea Pinot gris has remarkable complexity and purity of fruit at five years of age. It is still young and, with the dry fruit characters still increasing, I expect it to improve for at least four more years
Because of Shea Vineyard's richness, the best matches are with more richly flavored shellfish and white meat dishes prepared with complex or slightly spicy sauces. Prawns, scallops, and game birds, as well as pork tenderlion, that are sauced with salsas, fruit reductions, or sauces with hints of hot peppers would be great matches.