My good friend Mark Vlossak stopped by today to pour us his current releases. I have been selling Mark’s wines since he founded the winery in 1988. I have been at this a while and so has he. Of course, tasting wines with Vlossak is like listening to one of your favorite albums (yes kids I mean vinyl! I love that too!) there is something familiar that takes you right back to a special moment and then there’s something new, something that you hadn’t quite noticed before that makes you love it even more!
We tasted 2010 whites and 2009 Pinot Noirs. We will are offering all of the wines for sale. However, I will limit my remarks to a couple of selections:
– 2010 Freedom Hill Chardonnay — Such a beautiful example of how good Oregon Chardonnay can be! This wine has all of the visceral quality of a Mersault yet possesses a mineral quality more reminiscent of Chablis. I refer to these regions in Burgundy here as this 100% Dijon clone Chardonnay melds the French style with distinctly gorgeous Oregon fruit. Mark has decided to get the oak out of this equation. Since he is using neutral barrels there would be no logic in charging us for new wood. Hence, the price has come down on this wine: $24 ea $245 case. 90 points Wine Spectator & Robert Parker
– 2009 Temperance Hill Pinot Noir — This site is the highest, coldest site for any of the St. Innocent wines. As is the case for many of us, Mark loves the marriage of food and wine. The Temperance is what he refers to as his Salmon wine. For me, I would enjoy this wine with almost any meal! When I put my nose in my glass of Temperance my first thought was, “Ahhh, this is what I love about Oregon Pinot.”. A bouquet of rose pedals, and the funky fungus of the barnyard harmoniously providing a glimpse of what is to come when tasted. The 2009 vintage resulted in some rather viscous Pinot Noir. The cool Temperance Hill site kept the body in check. Dark cherry tones enhanced by a spicy thread that runs through the long finish….Delightful! $34 ea $345 case.
91 points Wine Spectator, Robert Parker, Stephen Tanzer 92 points Burghound (highest of the vintage!!)
–I would be delighted to respond to any inquiries on the other wines. They all rock!
- Pinot Blanc 2010 $20 ea $204 case
Pinot Noirs:
- Villages Cuvee 2010 $24 ea $245 case
- Vitae Springs 2009 $34 ea $345 case
- Zenith 2009 $37 ea $378 case
- Momtazi 2009 $37 ea $378 case
- Freedom 2009 $42 ea $428 case
- Shea 2009 $45 ea $460 case
- Justice 2009 $50 ea $510 case
