St. Innocent, Pinot Noir Temperance Hill, Willamette Valley

Generous, beguiling nose right off the bat. Mushrooms and undergrowth layered on tart red and black cherries and dark florals. A hint of cherry liquor adds depth. Palate shows tart cherry, tree bark, black tea and burnt orange rind. Delicious.

2010 vintage

Medium ruby, very slight cloud to it. On the nose veers toward darker fruits—black cherry, blackberry. Notes of pencil shaving and earthy herb. This is the end of the drinking window suggested on the bottle—12 years. I was expecting it to feel a bit smoother on the palate. Feels stronger than the 13.5 ABV. I’m guessing I missed its peak. Decent bottle but didn’t really warrant the 10 years spent in my cellar. Drink now.

2012 vintage

Popped and poured, this is drinking well, the nose if fairly expressive, nice balance, 91 ish

2012 vintage

Dark ruby red in color. Very perfumed nose shows aromatic Asian spices, dark berry preserves, violets. A medium bodied and silky palate shows candied dark red berries, florals, cola, good acidity and a long finish. Nice.

2012 vintage

2022 New Years Eve : Drank a small glass over 1 hour. Leather, tree bark, lots of damp rich earth. Clearly Oregon pinot and drinking beautifully.

2010 vintage

New Years Eve Celebration (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)) : Medium red color. PNP, drank a glass over an hour. Just lovely, as expected. Beautuful Oregon pinot nose filled with a perfume of spiced raspberry and Christmas spices, cherry and earth. The palate is elegant, medium plus bodeid, red berries and cherry, Christmas spice, earth, pomagranate, iron and mineral notes. Loved it, in a beautiful place. Should go for some time.

2010 vintage

Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN) : Just a very small taste, but drinking great and right in the window now. Classic TH from Mark, loved it, wish I'd gotten a bigger pour. Super nose.

2008 vintage

Fully mature red fruits with braised meat and corresponding spice. Good weight, just finishes with less depth than it starts. No further upside.

2010 vintage

The nose is complex with cherry, raspberry and blackberry. There is forest floor and earth. The palate is light and lean. This was drinking very well.

2012 vintage

Drinking fine...may have lacked the energy of a bottle a few years ago

2008 vintage

Very fine - considerably better than a year ago. Outstanding, with notes of raspberry, red cherry, and blueberry. Gorgeous long finish, with excellent balance.

2012 vintage

Medium dark red color. PNP, drank 2 glasses over 90 minutes. Very high tones dried spices on the nose, with underbrush, dried flowers, raspberries, red currants, and tobacco. The palate is medium plus bodied, layered fruits more to red but with darker notes there too; raspberry, black raspberry, tobacco and underbrush come through with fairly sleek, medium tannins. This should get better yet. 92+pts.

2012 vintage

It was still drinking beautifully!

2010 vintage

Cool vineyard site, warm year. I was somewhat surprised at the level of concentration and power of this pinot, reflecting the vintage I assume. But this was a very beautiful pinot, with great balance and a punch of cherry, raspberry, spices together with nice earthy notes, good acidity and slight tannins. This should last quite a while, but drinking very well now (A-/A).

2012 vintage

One of my last bottles from variety of their vineyards from a visit long ago. Very enjoyable.

2010 vintage

Strawberries, leather, earthy, smooth lingering acidity

2012 vintage

Day 1: Iron, cranberry, strawberry, boysenberries and earth. Concentrated wine and medium plus finish. Good acidity. 92 points Day 2: Fragrant and better than day 1. Floral, iron, earth, cranberry, wet stones and strawberry. Medium plus finish. Good acidity. 93 points This wine needs some time to cellar based on the day 2 review.

2012 vintage

Dark red in color. Expressive aromas of candied dark red cherries, raspberries, dried florals and asian spices. Medium bodied palate shows sweet & bitter dark cherry compote, spice, hint of cola, medium (+) acidity and a long smoky/floral tinged finish. Nice.

2012 vintage

Drinking beautifully tonight. Good structure and balance, with a Burgundian nose, oak, earth floor and raspberry.

2012 vintage

Lots of berry fruit, including cherries, raspberries and blueberries. It is very smooth and the fruit has a velvety feel on the palate. It has some earthiness and spice to the finish.

2012 vintage

At first I feared it was tired but really opened up after 30 minutes. Mushroom and charcoally nose, cherry, red apple, pomegranate, blackberry. It's unctuous, persistent, yet still delicate. Wish I waited, but drinking beautifully now.

2012 vintage

Pop and pour. The nose is complex with cherry, raspberry and blackberry. There is forest floor and earth. The palate is light and lean.

2012 vintage

Wow, this is drinking so well right now. Lots of berry fruit, including cherries, raspberries and blueberries. It is very smooth and the fruit has a velvety feel on the palate. It has some earthiness and spice to the finish. This is why I love Oregon Pinot Noir so much, especially for the price when compared to Burgundy.

2012 vintage

Average Pinot. If you can get it at a good price go for it. Don’t overpay or drink in restaurant. As another poster said just a straight down the fairway Oregon Pinot.

2010 vintage

Marionberry, damp earth, funk

2010 vintage

Broken Wings and New Things (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)) : Medium red color. PNP, drank 2 glasses over 2 hours plus. Oh my, this is so pretty tonight. Great nose, lovely perfume, filled with dried flowers, leather and spice, red fruits, cherry, red berry, earth and an almost exotic note. The palate is seamless, elegant, and has such great texture, presence, and balance. Everything on the nose is right there, such purity, lifted, soil, wet earth, sappy (in a …

2008 vintage

Delicious fairly light PN that went well with salmon and fresh corn dinner. I think it is good for a couple more years but not more. Very enjoyable now. We drank it up in one sitting.

2008 vintage

Delicious - drinking a little early, with good acidity. Notes of sweet blueberry, earth floor and oak.

2012 vintage

delicious, ready to drink very fruity

2012 vintage

Much better on day 2 as it really opened up. Wide open and ready for business. Nice cherry fruits in perfect balance with the acidity. The finish goes on and on. Some nice cedar/wood notes on the mid palate.

2012 vintage

Very nice wine by Mark V. Sour cherries on the palate. Fine grained tannins provide grip. Long finish.

2012 vintage

Oregon Pinot Noir vs. California Pinot Noir (Minneapolis) : Day 1: Wow! Amazing complexity and vibrant nose. The favorite wine of the group. Cranberry, spice, rose petals and earth. Medium plus finish and good acidity. This wine has many years ahead based on where it is now. Drink now to 2024. 94 points Day 2: Amazing. I highly recommend experiencing this wine on day 2. Wonderful nose of cranberry, forest floor, rose petals, spices and wafer. Medium plus finish and …

2010 vintage

opened, double decanted and poured. Initially, enough brett (and possibly VA) to be more than a little off-putting. After a couple/few hours open, it really blossomed to drink very, very well. 84 initiailly, 92-93pts at its best.

2008 vintage

Popped, poured, consumed over next two hours. Opened nicely, but very gradually improved until the final sip. I assume it would have coined to evolve, but it was gone. Love the elegance and refreshing acidity. Paired perfectly with roasted salmon.

2008 vintage

A delicious Oregon Pinot Noir with nice red fruit.

2012 vintage

Oregon... (Spoon and Stable) : Consistent with previous notes. This was very much St. Innocent in profile.

2010 vintage

Monthly Tasting Group: An Embarrassment of Oregon Riches (Spoon & Stable, Mpls, MN) : Small pour. Well, it will come as no surprise to anyone that I simply adore this wine. Two words for you: purity and pristine. That sums it up. This has such inner beauty and power in the effortless way of a ballerina. Pristine red fruits, brilliantly earthy, strawberry, ahhhh.

2010 vintage

There were other excellent btls tonight but this one stood out for me and was my WOTN. Loved the weight, balance and profound depth. Complex range of red fruit, forest floor, earth, mineral and mushroom. This would have been fun blind in Burg flight. Might need to hunt down a couple of these if I can online! I'll certainly keep my eye out for release vintages in a less hot vintage like the great 2010.

2010 vintage

This is a delicious Oregon Pinot Noir. It is drinking perfectly right now, but it certainly will hold for 3 to 5 more years. It has very nice red fruits, some minerality, verve, some tannins too, and a medium finish.

2012 vintage

At early peak. Black cherry fruit, silky texture with just a hint of baking spices, licorice and smoky herbs. Drink over next 5 years, maybe longer.

2008 vintage

i like this. tastes like stem inclusion. it is harmonious with ample tart plum and rasberry fruits along with more barnyard elements. Would buy again.

2010 vintage

Floral, full of verve and energy. Light to medium bodied, with laser precision and red fruit notes and some minerality. Delicious, this wine keeps you coming back for more and more.

2012 vintage

Tight right after the cork pull, but opened up nicely as the evening progressed. This Pinot demonstrates what the Willamette Valley is capable of producing.

2012 vintage

Summer Makes a Comeback (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)) : Medium bright ruby red color. PNP, drank 2 glasses over 90 minutes. Drank this next to a '10 Freedom Hill. This really has an explosive nose, complex, and so pretty with its mix of red fruit and damp earthiness; bright red fruits, strawberry, raspberry, floral perfume of roses, mushroom, and dried cedar box. The palate is wonderfully lifted, bright and energized with focus and great acid, pretty red berries, mushroom, …

2010 vintage

Agree with most tasters, this was cru level wine yesterday. we drank alongside 94 point Santa Rita 2014 PN, Once we opened StInnocent, no one wanted a pour of Cali wine.

2008 vintage

Best right out of the bottle, after which it tightened up a little. On day 2 it was shot. Recommend 2 year hold but OK to drink now with food, solid middleweight with fruit but not too sweet or stemmy.

2012 vintage

Excellent Oregon pinot noir. Had a lot of body and relatively dark color for a pinot. Had some Burgundian earthy overtones with some spice.

2012 vintage

Monthly Tasting Group: Blind Pinots Worldwide (Meritage, St. Paul) : Small taste of this tonight from the other table. Not nearly what it usually is. Maybe too late in the evening. Normally I love this. Maybe 90pts tonight - seemed woody, sharp and off its game.

2010 vintage

Consumed by guests at my birthday party

2010 vintage

This improved with a little air but is definitely within the prime drinking window.

2010 vintage

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St. Innocent, Pinot Noir Temperance Hill, Willamette Valley

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