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2006 Pinot Noir
Anden Vineyard, special selection Release Date: 9/2008 Retail Price: $ 60 per bottle as a future, $100 as a re-release Production Notes Anden Vineyard (formerly part of Seven Springs Vineyard) overlooks the fertile Willamette Valley from its position in the hills west of Salem. Growing on a steep southeast slope, the vines are protected from maritime winds by a fold in the hills. The vineyard was planted in 1982 on Jory soil, a shallow clay over fractured rock, at an elevation of 400'. The grapes were fermented in a Burgundy oak fermenter after two days of cold maceration. The wine aged French oak barrels for 19 months before bottling. The Special Selection was selected from the four best barrels and bottled as a unique cuvee This Pinot noir complements foods with wild berry, earth, and spice flavors - gamebirds, venison, wild mushrooms - and will benefit from aging up to 12 years.
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Winemaker Notes
Beinning in 1998 I discontinued our tradional 'futures' program and decided to begin offering an alternative to our customers. St. Innocent 'futures' are a limited and unique bottling of only the best barrels from the best wine produced in a specific vintage. They are only sold as 'futures' and never offered at a later date. Only two to four barrels are selected from the 30 or more barrels of one single vineyard offering and bottled as a 'special selection'. These wines represent the best wine I can produce in a specific vintage. The maximum amount produced is four barrels, or 98 cases.
In 2002, our 'futures' program became even more unique. We purchased two French oak, Burgundy style fermenters, one produced by the Vicard cooperage, the other by Taransaud. Half of the 2002 Pinot noir, Anden Vineyard was fermented in the Vicard tank, the other half in a stainless steel tank. In my 2002 harvest report, I described the fermentation aromas in the wood tank as the best I have ever smelled. We bottled the 2002 Pinot noir Anden Vineyard, Special Selection from the best two barrels of wine(out of 16) fermented in the Vicard tank.
I am convinced that grapes fermented in wooden Burgundy fermenters capture more of the nuances of Pinot noir and produce more complex wines. Each year, I now select one or two of the best lots of fruit and ferment them in one of the Burgundy wood fermenters. The Special Selections come from those lots.
The 2006 Anden Vineyard, special selection was fermented in our Taransaud fermenter. This future offering will be selected from the four best barrels of the 17 produced from that tank. Futures are offered from Thanksgiving weekend 2007. Sold in six bottle lots, the finished wine will be available for pick-up (or shipped) in September 2008. Total production is 98 cases.
2006 produced wines with great concentration. Moderate crop levels combined with a dry and warm final ripening phase produced berries that were slightly dehydrated and completely ripe. There is an intensity to all of our 2006 Pinot noirs: dark colors, ripe tannins, good acidity, and fully ripe fruit flavors.
2006 is the last vintage that St. Innocent will pick fruit from Anden or Seven Springs Vineyard and this is our final wine from these sites. If you have enjoyed our offerings, this is your last chance to enjoy my efforts to capture the essence of these great sites.
Futures are being offered beginning Thanksgiving weekend 2007. Sold in six bottle lots, the finished wine will be available for pick-up (or shipped) in September 2008.
Mark Vlossak, winemaker