×
This wine is currently unavailable

St. Innocent Pinot Noir Zenith Vineyard 2011 750ml

size
750ml
country
United States
region
Oregon
appellation
Willamette Valley
subappellation
Eola-Amity Hills District
WA
91
VM
91
Additional vintages
WA
91
Rated 91 by Wine Advocate
Dried cherry and cranberry tinged with ginger, white pepper, clove and resin make for a penetrating and pungent nose to the St. Innocent 2011 Pinot Noir Zenith Vineyard. The tartness of its red berries and tactile impingement of its spicy elements make for a similarly audacious palate presentation, which an emerging aura of holly berry distillate only encourages. The gripping, invigorating finish retains a welcome measure of refreshing primary juiciness; and unlike a good many other St. Innocent (or Zenith Estate) Pinots, this seems simply to slough-off its (ca. 30%) share of new oak. I suspect it will merit attention through at least 2020. ... More details
Image of bottle
Sample image only. Please see Item description for product Information. When ordering the item shipped will match the product listing if there are any discrepancies. Do not order solely on the label if you feel it does not match product description

St. Innocent Pinot Noir Zenith Vineyard 2011 750ml

SKU 743635
Out of Stock
More wines available from St. Innocent
Sale
750ml
Bottle: $29.94 $32.39
Rated 94 - The aromatic set begins with bursts of earth and lemon verbena, followed by a wonderful combination of...
WE
94
JS
92
Sale
750ml
Bottle: $41.90 $44.80
Rated 93 - Notes of chocolate-coated red berries with ground spices, dried citrus rind and raw mushrooms. It’s full...
JS
93
Sale
750ml
Bottle: $42.84 $44.80
Rated 93 - Plenty of blue fruit with spices and crushed stones. Some slate and graphite, too. Full-bodied, very...
JS
93
750ml
Bottle: $62.80
The wine sees minimal intervention – fermented in small tanks, after a short cold soak, it is aged for 16 months,...
750ml
Bottle: $42.83
Rated 93 - Cherries, dried strawberries, rose hips and oyster shells on the nose. Some lemon peel. It’s...
JS
93
More Details
Winery St. Innocent
barrel

Vintage: 2011

The year 2011 was an interesting year for many northern and central European countries, as the weather was more than unpredictable in the spring and summer. However, in most countries, the climatic conditions thankfully settled down in the late summer and fall. The result of this slightly difficult year of weather in France was a set of surprisingly small yields, but overall, these yields were of a higher quality than those harvested in certain previous years. A fantastic set of wines was also made in Italy and Spain, and the Rioja wines - when released - are set to be very good indeed. Austria also had superb year in 2011, with almost fifty percent more grapes being grown and used for their distinctive Gruner Veltliner wines than in the year before. Possibly the European country which had the finest 2011, though, was Portugal, with wineries in the Douro region claiming this year to be one of the best in decades for the production of Port wine, and the bright, young Vinho Verdes wines. In the New World, the Pacific Northwest saw some of the best weather of 2011, and Washington State and Oregon reportedly had a highly successful year, especially for the cultivation of high quality red wine grapes. Chile and Argentina had a relatively cool year, which certainly helped retain the character of many of their key grape varietals, and should make for some exciting drinking. South Africa had especially good weather for their white wine grape varietals, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and many South African wineries are reporting 2011 as one of their best years in recent memory.
green grapes

Varietal: Pinot Noir

Regularly described as being the grape varietal responsible for producing the world's most romantic wines, Pinot Noir has long been associated with elegance and a broad range of flavors The name means 'black pine' in French, and this is due to the fact that the fruit of this particular varietal is especially dark in color, and hangs in a conical shape, like that of a pine cone. Despite being grown today in almost every wine producing country, Pinot Noir is a notoriously difficult grape variety to cultivate. This is because it is especially susceptible to various forms of mold and mildew, and thrives best in steady, cooler climates. However, the quality of the fruit has ensured that wineries and vintners have persevered with the varietal, and new technologies and methods have overcome many of the problems it presents. Alongside this, the wide popularity and enthusiasm for this grape has ensured it will remain a firm favorite amongst wine drinkers for many years to come.
barrel

Region: Oregon

The beautiful state of Oregon has, over the past few decades, become increasingly well known and respected for its wine industry, with several small but significant wineries within the state receiving world wide attention for the quality of their produce. Whilst the first vineyards within Oregon were planted in the 1840s, the state's wine industry didn't really take off until the 1960s, when several wine producers from California discovered that the cooler regions of the state were ideal for cultivating various fine grape varietals. Today, Oregon has over four hundred and fifty wineries in operation, the vast majority of which are used for the production of wines made from Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir varietal grapes, both of which thrive in the valleys and mountainsides which characterise the landscape of the state.
fields

Country: United States

The first European settlers to consider growing grapevines in the United States must have been delighted when they discovered the now famous wine regions within California, Oregon and elsewhere. Not even in the Old World are there such fertile valleys, made ideal for vine cultivation by the blazing sunshine, long, hot summers and oceanic breezes. As such, it comes as little surprise that today more than eighty-nine percent of United States wines are grown in the valleys and on the mountainsides of California, where arguably some of the finest produce in the world is found. However, American wine does not begin and end with California, and due to the vast size of the country and the incredible range of terrains and climates found within the United States, there is probably no other country on earth which produces such a massive diversity of wines. From ice wines in the northern states, to sparkling wines, aromatized wines, fortified wines, reds, whites, rosés and more, the United States has endless surprises in store for lovers of New World wines.
bottle and glass

Appellation: Willamette Valley

Oregon is a fascinating state when it comes to United States' wines. Although not as famous as nearby California, Oregon has been consistently lauded for its dedication to quality, experimentation and innovation over recent decades, helping it establish a powerful wine industry with a great reputation. Within Oregon, we find the beautiful wine region of Willamette Valley, a lush a fertile region most commonly associated with the production of high quality Pinot Noir grapes, which are internationally recognized as being responsible for many of the New World's finest red wines. Whilst the Pinot Noir grape is the most commonly grown across the region, the climatic conditions and soil types in Willamette Valley make it an ideal location for the cultivation of many different varietals, making it a very interesting area to explore through wine.