|
|
|
 |
2008 Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, Villages Cuvée Release Date: 2/1/2010 Retail Price: $ 27/bottle Availability: 741 cases Production Notes The grapes were fermented in a stainless fermenter after two days of cold maceration. The wine aged for 12 months in 20% new French oak barrels and was bottled by gravity without fining and filtration. Crop Level 1.8 tons/acreHarvest 10/14 and 10/19, 2008 Bottled November 2009 This Pinot noir complements red meat, cheese, and rich fish entrees and is ready to drink or can be aged up to 6 years.
|
|
|
|
Winemaker Notes
Oregon vineyards were originally planted on their 'own roots'. European grape vines, unlike American vines, have no inherent resistance to damage by the root louse phyloxera. This root louse survives by feeding on the small roots of grape vines. Damage to the small root allows secondary infections to enter the vine resulting in its death. There is no way to save infected vines short of replanting with grafted vines - european (vitus vinifera) tops and american vine roots.
Many of St. Innocent's vineyard sources have phyloxera. As we replant, the early crops have lovely fruit charactoristics, but little sense of terroir. The wines made from young vines will not be blended with older vines from our best vineyards. Our solution is to blend these 'first crops' with a consistent Pinot noir base wine from Vitae Springs Vineyard producing a Willamette Valley blend. Given the extent of our replanting efforts, the amount of Willamette Valley Pinot noir will increase in the coming vintages.
2008 was an exceptional vintage, made exceptional by being quietly ordinary. Bloom was very late in variable weather. The result was smaller clusters with fewer berries. The summer passed quickly with veraison occuring earlier than expected, leaving the false impression that there was more crop hanging in the vineyard than there really was. Final ripening took place in endless cool, sunny days in an atmosphere of calm that I have never experienced, but hope to again. The fruit was picked clean and perfectly ripe. The only downside was the very small crop, our smallest in ten years.
The 2008 Villages Cuvée is a blend of new and old Pinot noir blocks at Vitae Springs Vineyard. The older blocks are planted with Pommard and the 115 Dijon clone in the Inwood block at Vitae Springs. The younger vines are clone 777 and 115 in the Hare and Caleb blocks.
Tasting notes
The 2008 Villages Cuvée Pinot noir has a lovely nose of bright red fruit and sweet spices. Cherry and red berry flavors are layered with pie spices and a hints of flowers. Deep ruby and quite rich for Vitae Springs, the '08 reflects the vintage's more concentrated and robust, layered structure. Bottled in November '09, it will benefit from being opened 1-2 hours and can be aged up to 6 years to gain complexity. This is a beautiful bottle from one of the greatest Oregon vintages in the past 30 years.
Mark Vlossak, winemaker