St. Innocent, Villages Cuvee, Pinot Noir, 2007
This is definitely a perennial favorite of mine. St. Innocent makes really great wines, and this one is usually a good deal (being good and cheap). Every once and a while, this is a wine I'll splurge and buy a case of. So how what this year's version?
The nose was dusty and smokey (maybe tobacco?). It was spicy too: maybe nutmeg, white pepper, perhaps a little clove. Spice predominated the nose, though there was a hint of vanilla, a little cherry, and rose! That last floral bit became stronger as the wine opened up. The taste was strawberry at first; and later became more red cherry. Again, there was that nice rose. The finish went into a very slightly citrus taste, and then directly into marionberry. Definitely marionberry. The finish was long. And at the very end, there was a slight earthiness. Maybe vegetable. Maybe mineral. But definitely earth.
This wasn't quite as Burgundian as that Dobbes we recently had. But it definitely on that side of the Oregon Pinot spectrum. The only down side is the price. It was about $17 back in 2004. This year's price: $25. However, it definitely competes well even at this price.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0