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2007 Pinot Noir, Momtazi Vineyard
Release Date: 9/2009 Retail Price: $39/bottle Production: 1176 cases Production Notes: The grapes were fermented in a small stainless tank after one day of cold maceration. The wine aged for 16 months in 31% new French oak barrels and was bottled by gravity without fining. Crop Level 2.1 tons/ acre This Pinot noir complements rich stews, roasts, cheeses and grilled meats. When served young, this wine is best opened 1-2 hours before serving . It is drinkable at release and will benefit from aging up to 9 years.
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Winemaker Notes
In 2006 I approached Moe Momtazi and asked if St. Innocent could contract for Pinot noir fruit from his bio-dynamically farmed vineyard. From my first trip to France in 1998, I observed that the greatest domaines in both Burgundy and Alsace had one thing in common, they farmed bio-dynamically.
Bio-dynamics is an integrated system of farming that incorporates and encourages diversity in the entire ecosystem, from the roots and soil, through the macro-climate of the vine. A step beyond organic farming, this system was developed by Rudolph Steiner. The end result is a greater sense of the terroir of the site.
Momtazi Vineyard is in the McMinnville appellation, located high above a warm valley and affected by strong coastal winds blowing through the Van Duzer corridor in the late afternoon. It is at once a sunny, roasted hillside providing exceptional ripeness and a windblown, ridge of thin soil that challenges the vines ability to survive. The wines produced reveal this dicotomy, being densely fruited and rustic at the same time. All of the wines produced from this AVA tend to be darker in fruit profile, richer in tannins, and more intense on the palate.
This wine has a distinctly different density compared to other St. Innocent offerings and reflects its unique McMinnville terroir. The best analogy I can offer is to imagine having tasted all of Burgundy except for Nuits-Saint-Georges. Then you taste Nuits-Saint-Georges and respond that this is not Burgundy. But of course it is, in fact it is the geographic center of Burgundy, yet is somehow completely different. This is how Momtazi and the McMinnville AVA fits into the profile of Oregon's Willamette Valley.
2007 was one of the more challenging harvests in the past decade. The season began early with sunny and dry weather in May and June. Bloom was about a week earlier than normal indicating that we would expect to begin picking in late September. The crop level was thinned significantly in late July achieving yields of between 2.1 and 2.7 tons per acre for Pinot noir.
September was cooler than normal and the cool weather continued into October. Intermittent rains slowed maturity. Sunny periods between the rain events allowed the critical process of ripening and flavor development to continue. The tension mounted as waited and prayed for sun watching the acids soften, the tannins sweeten, and the flavors gain complexity. The first grapes were finally picked on October 5th, ten days later than expected. By October 15th, all of the fruit was picked, making 2007 our shortest harvest. The extended hang time produced exceptional white wines and complex, layered Pinot noirs.
Tasting Notes
Deep ruby in color, the 2007 Pinot noir, Momtazi Vineyard has aromas of Asian spices, black raspberries, dried cherries, green peppercorns, and baking chocolate. The mouth is layered with blackberries, cocoa, wild strawberries, roasted spices and hints of wild mushrooms, cedar, and sweet tar.
The wild components fill your mouth and slowly evolve to overtones of green tea and sweeter spices. Dark berries become more dominant into it's lengthy finish leaving a linger impression of sweet berry extract. The tannins are rich, very ripe, and integrated with the wine's acidity. This is a complex wine that reflects the heat of the afternoon sun, the cool, windy evenings, and the rustic soils of the McMinnville hills while retaining the dark beauty of its intense, ripe fruit.
Serve with grilled meats, sausages, or hearty stews. It can be enjoyed in its youth after decanting for two hours or more and will develop over nine years.
Mark Vlossak, winemaker