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2010 Pinot Noir, Shea Vineyard, special selection
Release Date: 9/2012 Futures Price: $60 per bottle as a Future Production Notes: The grapes were fermented in a Burgundy oak fermenter after two days of cold maceration. The wine aged in French oak barrels for 16 months before bottling. The Special Selection was selected from the four best barrels. This unique cuvée represents the most rigorous selection of grapes and wines in each vintage. 49 cases were produced and this wine is available for sale only as a future. This Pinot noir complements sweet meat entrees - lamb chops, filet, grilled salmon. When served young, this wine is best decanted or allowed to breathe for several hours. It is drinkable at release and will benefit from aging up to 12 years.
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Winemaker Notes
In the past, we offered Pinot noir futures to ensure that our out-of-state customers could purchase small production wines before they sold out. In 1999 we began offering another type of future, a unique bottling of a small number of the best barrels from the vintage's best lots of Pinot noir. Two to four barrels are selected from the 30 or so barrels of one single vineyard offering and bottled as a special cuvée. These cuvées are sold only at the winery as futures. They represent the best wine of the vintage and are always age worthy.
In 2002, we purchased our first French oak, Burgundy style fermenters. In my Harvest Report, I described the fermentation aromas in the wood tank as the best I have ever smelled. I am convinced that grapes fermented in wooden Burgundy fermenters capture more of the nuances of Pinot noir and produce more complex wines. The Special Selection now always come from lots fermented in these French oak fermenters.
2010 was Oregon's coldest growing season in 30 years. Bloom was later than normal and occurred in cloudy and cool weather. The flowers do not fertilize well in these conditions and this limited the crop and reduced the vineyard yields. The summer was sunny, but not hot and the temperatures rarely exceeded 95 degrees.
By mid-September the summer heat disappeared and temperatures from that point on did not exceed 70 degrees. Most of October was sunny and quite cool. The sun allowed the skins and flavors to ripen while the cool temperatures kept the Brix (sugar) levels low and retained lovely acidity in the wines.
2010 is a vintage that produced very precise wines with moderate alcohol, excellent acidity, well detailed aroma and flavor expressions of their terroirs. They will be lovely partners to food and will age well.
Tasting Notes
The 2010 Shea Special Selection has a broad potpourri of aromas of wild flowers, spices and berries. It is very detailed in the mouth with discrete textural elements of red and dark berries, cherries, pie spices, citrus peel, and dried flowers. It almost gives the sense that these flavor elements are precisely placed on your tongue and palate separated by a fresh, juicy acidity so you can sense them with greater clarity. It is quite long on the palate, but maintains a lightness in the face of it sweet backbone of tannins.
Given the balance, complexity and structure of the '10 Shea Special Selection, it can be enjoyed in its youth, but will gain focus with 8-15 years of bottle age. The optimal window for enjoyment is between 2018 and 2026.
Futures are offered beginning Thanksgiving weekend. 49 cases are available for sale. Sold in six bottle lots, the finished wine will be available for pick-up (or shipped) in September 2012
Mark Vlossak, winemaker.