Shea Wine Cellars, Shea Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

Smelled a bit funky on opening, I recommend the counting for one hour flavors really opened up. Very rich! Very long, sweet, sweet fruit. Maybe pass its prime, but still delicious!

2009 vintage

Wonderful. Light ruby color. Hints of vanilla and cherry

2013 vintage

Very good. Vanilla and cherry. Brilliant ruby color. Subtle nose

2013 vintage

I must admit, I expected a bit more. Light and pleasant, but not particularly complex. A bit flabby and undistinguished.

2019 vintage

Purchased 2 bottles in May 2024 at Total Wine in Chesterfield, Missouri. This is without a doubt the worst Shea wine I’ve ever had. Muted sour cherry up front. Spoiled lime juice on the bitter finish. Maybe it’s flawed? Both bottles were poor.

2019 vintage

Blind Tasting of 8 Young Oregon Pinots : My #8, Group #4. Interesting nose of herbs. Smooth body, decent balance, but ultimately simpler than others in the tasting.

2019 vintage

Really interesting, some saline notes. Nice complexity and finish.

2019 vintage

Nice structure. Firm tannins. Raspberries and cherries. Let breathe for 30 minutes

2019 vintage

I don’t know what to make of this. As a wine it’s tasty. As WV Pinot, not so sure. Honestly blinded I’m not sure I’d even call it Pinot, especially Willamette Valley. More reminiscent of new world Grenache. Huge for Pinot, very fruit forward with dense red and black fruits and some oak. Very clean and pure. Missing acid and structure. Color is a dense ruby-purple, barely transparent. Maybe if you like big Pinot like some RRV’s can be, go …

2019 vintage

Pretty taught to the palate. Fruit is drying out a bit, but still drinking well. Light tannin. Opening up to a dry savory cherry. Not the prettiest wine. But time ahead of itself. Drink to 2030

2013 vintage

Tasted at the winery. The Pinot’s from Shea are distinctly different than many of the other Pinot’s we tried this week (with a couple exceptions). They are bolder, more “masculine”, darker and more fruit forward…What I sometimes call Pinots for Cab lovers. This appears to be the result of several winemaking choices. In the vineyard, they pick much more ripe than some of the others we have spoken to, around 26° Brix rather than the ~24° others have told us …

2019 vintage

Very inviting nose of cranberry, strawberry, cherry, loganberry, integrated oak. The palate had similar aromatics but this to me was completely flat - no acid. Ruined the experience for me even though the fruit was wonderful. With higher acid this would have been a great quality pinot, am I missing something here? Off bottle? Not sure, but a 2019 with no acid is concerning.

2019 vintage

Drinking quite well, but definitely on the down slope. At this stage, this is the best of the vintage for Shea. We drank our Homer and block 23 recently as well.

2009 vintage

Past it’s prime. High high alcohol like a port at this point.

2009 vintage

Notes the same as last time. Tannins nearly resolved, great flavor. Very enjoyable.

2009 vintage

Very high alcohol (14.8%), dominates every sip. Peppery, jammy long finish. Not a fan.

2009 vintage

Surprisingly, even at 11+ years from vintage, give it time in air. Primary and yummy at PnP, but depth and complexity over two hours develops. Brownish-ruby color, clear but not brilliant. Red fruits, sweet and spiced on nose carrying through to palate. Fully integrated tannins and just enough acid to balance fruit. Roses there, but in background as a complement. Surprisingly long and consistent finish, now lighter and more dance than two years ago Not sure I would age longer …

2009 vintage

Mature, with soft acidity and silky, dark fruit.

2009 vintage

Delicuous cherry and blueberry fruit, not too much on the nose but intriguing. Fruit confirmed on palate with soft sage brush and savory. Soft tannins and acid low so perceived sweet cherry. Med length and soft, showing age just now.

2009 vintage

More even-keeled than my last bottle. Fruit-forward full-bodied pinot, but not overly so. One dimensional in a fine way. Hit its stride after blowing off funk for the first 10 minutes. Then drank pretty well for 2+ hours. Occasional slight hints of sharp oakiness / nail polish remover that keep me from scoring this higher.

2009 vintage

All over the place, as the comments below describe: - 1st 10m: blowing off funk - next 20m: we’ll balanced cherries and oak - 30-90m: almost undrinkable, brett-like - 90m+: settled into a 1D, pleasant wine but with Brett always close by

2009 vintage

Soft, resolved, and past its prime.

2009 vintage

Wow. This was so good. The fruit flavors popped, and there was none of the usual sour cherry taste I dislike in Oregon Pinot. I guess forgetting about it for a decade is the key.

2009 vintage

A little past it's prime... Drank this over two weekends, extracting the wine via cora vin. Dark in color, but beginning to fade.. Not much of a nose. Although with significant time in the glass hints of red fruit emerged, only to fade as my glass sat beckoning me. Some fruit taste left w/ mostly sour cherry in the front of my pallet. The remaining tannins - were there, but not really, which was to be expected. I like Shea …

2009 vintage

First bottle I opened was PnP and was a huge mistake. This one was double decanted the day before, then poured into glasses 2 hours before serving. A powerhouse Pinot with good character, it was still slightly awkward but the air really helps. Enjoyable but not memorable.

2009 vintage

Past prime

2009 vintage

Not typical pinot. More extracted red with dark red fruits on the nose. Also, dark red fruits on the pallet. Still drinking nicely. Not overly complex.

2009 vintage

Rich fruit and fine tannins deliver great mouth feel and a tangy finish.

2013 vintage

On the downhill slide. Has lost its freshness as of 4/19.

2009 vintage

Fresh, bright, angular. Again, red fruit and seven up. OR dry sangria. Fruit pops out more than it has in the past. Interested to see where this goes.

2013 vintage

'It's Pinot, Jim, but not as we know it'. I hoped age might help this wine mellow out a bit, but this is still an overly ripe wine from a 'big' vineyard and a warm vintage. I'd be hard pressed to guess pinot in a blind tasting. No heat or overt alcohol on the medium bodied, smooth and rather soft palate, but no typical OR pinot notes or spice either. Not my style (B-).

2009 vintage

Great bottle of Wine with Dinner at Vela. Interesting more complex than 2 years ago. Time to drink up.

2013 vintage

Can’t rate since it was spoiled

2013 vintage

Drinking beautifully here with no decanting.

2009 vintage

Balanced. Acidity and fruit in harmony. Mellow and full bodied for a Pinot. Blue/dried red fruits, earthyness present but not at expense of fruits. Integrated Tanins. Drinking very well now.

2009 vintage

Smooth with hint of spice and nice finish. We drank it with Easter Dinner, but could drink it by itself.

2009 vintage

Pinot Noirs (3-CA & 3-OR) (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA) : Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage. N: CLOSED; Roses (+ addt'l flowers with air/swirling)? Spice? P: LM, poss Lt, body; Rndish entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which stays within hailing distance of the init frt as it slowly, fairly seamlessly morphs into quite a LONG finish with a burgeoning swtness to the very, VERY …

2013 vintage

A surprisingly big Pinot from a cooler vintage. Was great on it's own showing some good acidity and some black fruits.

2009 vintage

Clear medium ruby with a touch of garnet. Dark cherry, blueberry, some oak spice and vanilla. Medium body and med acid with med- tannins. Languid approach with a hot finish. Not a lot of fruit on the palate, what's there is tart and red. Med+ finish, mostly due to the burn of alcohol though.

2013 vintage

Big nose out of bottle, earthy dark berries with some chocolate. Tart berries with medium finish. Tannins mellowing with time. Burgundy in style. Nice bottle.

2013 vintage

Dark crimson in color, this wine shows black fruits of wild cherry, blackberry and black raspberry on the nose. The mouth feel is more fuller bodied than expected with hints of forest floor, sassafras and supple acidity. The finish is accessible but restrained. 13.3% abv. Purchased for $40US, this is a well made offering that is just beginning to reach its drinking window. Recommended to decant first.

2013 vintage

red fruit. I like the feel with the balance between ample flesh and tension.

2013 vintage

Raspberry, spice, strawberry. Tasty.

2009 vintage

PNP. Great balance of minerality, earth and red fruit (raspberries). Smooth palate was considerably more herbal. Soft, but firm tannins on medium finish.

2013 vintage

One of the more full bodies pinots I've had. Lots of dark fruit, a little bing cherry, and some dried meat. Very interesting! Full mouth feel and drinking at its prime.

2009 vintage

Tasted at Arroyo Vino Oregon PN tasting on 7/29/17: My favorite of the tasting. Garnet. Perfumed nose. Forward on the palate. Initially there seemed to be not much in the mid to posterior palate, but with a little air and time in the glass, that seemed to be in balance. Long, sweet, forward finish. Moderate acid that seemed in balance. $46.

2013 vintage

Red rose color. Nice aromatics: bright cherry, rhubarb and sweet sandalwood. Tart cherry, glycerin on the palate. Medium bodied. Tart, somewhat sour finish. Disappointing.

2013 vintage

PnP and drank half. Took a few minutes to open up. Rich and solid.

2009 vintage

Medium crimson. Fragrant, showing floral cherry blossom, light orange, and mint. Medium to light in body, nice weight, good acidity.

2013 vintage

Winebar [4 Whites & 8 Reds] from 5/19/17 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA) : Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage. N: Jammy, SMOKY, with spicy undertones; More to give? P: MF, poss Med, body; Almost swtish frt met by some astringent pucker which SLOWLY, fairly seamlessly, evolves into a LONG, very, VERY slightly bitter finish. A bigger flavored style to cellar into, if not through, '18, then drinking for the ff'ing …

2013 vintage

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Shea Wine Cellars, Shea Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

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