Pinot Noir Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc Chardonnay Sparkling Wines Order

2007 Pinot Noir Zenith Vineyard Release Date: 5/26/09 Retail Price: $32.00 Availability: 391 cs. Production Notes Zenith, our estate vineyard, is centrally located in the Eola-Amity Hill AVA eleven miles northwest of Salem, Oregon. The grapes come from three different Pinot noir blocks planted with 777 and Pommard clones. The vineyard slopes to the SW and SE on well-drained silty loam at an average elevation of 280'. The destemmed grapes were fermented in a small tank after two days of cold maceration. The wine aged for 16 months in 40% new French oak barrels and was bottled by gravity without fining. Crop Level: 2.6 tons/acre Harvest: 10/5/07 Bottled: March 2009 This Pinot noir complements sweet meat entrees - grilled salmon, lamb chops, and filet. When served young, this wine is best if allowed to breathe for 1-2 hours. It is drinkable at release or will benefit from aging up to 5 years. Winemaker Notes St. Innocent began producing wines from this site in 1989 when it was known as O'Connor Vineyard. We produced vineyard designated O'Connor Pinot noir for ten years, ending in 1998 when the vineyard was leased to Willamette Valley Vineyards. One of our customers, Tim and Kari Ramey purchased the vineyard in 2002. In early 2006, St. Innocent purchased a membership interest in the LLC and Zenith Vineyard, LLC and St. Innocent agreed to build a joint building. One part of the new facility would be an Event Center owned by Zenith and managed by Kari Ramey. The other part would be a new winery owned and operated by St. Innocent Winery. The winery portion was completed just in time for the 2007 harvest. The Event Center began operation in March 2008. Zenith has been in the process of re-planting post-phylloxera. A total of 13.5 acres of Pinot noir has been planted for St. Innocent, with two acres currently in full production. The remaining acres will begin producing in 2009 and achieve maturity in 2012. We will plant an additional 2 acres of Riesling in Block 2, the old Chardonnay block. 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 targeting 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 and increased the risk of rot. 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 tannin 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 (Complete tasting notes available after May 18th. Back to top of page