WTN: 2004 St. Innocent Temperence Hill PN

[Jenise]

Aha! Previous bottles of this wine have not shown well for me but the 2004 St. Innocent Temperence Hill is finally in its element: nose of black cherry and black plum fruit with a hint of coffee on the nose; a little iodine develops with time. On the palate, the same dark fruits, smoke, dark chocolate cocoa dust, kalamata olives and a green herb that might be tarragon. Quite unusual profile for an Oregon pinot, and there were moments during the two hours we sipped this where if I hadn't known what I was drinking I could have been talked into believing it to be a Crozes-Hermitage. Atypical, but good.

[David M. Bueker]

2004 seems to be a bit of an odd duck. I said I would open one of mine & even dug it out, but never got around to drinking it before it got hot and deathly humid around here (same goes for that promised '99 Barton).

I wasn't taken by either the 2003 or 2004 St. Innocents. 2005 seemed back on form though.

[Jenise]

Jay, very understandable re 03. That was a torid vintage and not even St. Innocent managed to produce interesting wine with reasonable alcohols. But I did like 04 (if not as well as 05), especially the White Rose. The heavy, dark-as-mud Temperance Hill I didn't care for at all, but bought six for a friend who requested them. When later I went to let him know they were here, he said, "Oh no thanks, I've already got some." Very confusing--it's not like I said I've got a case do you want any, I specifically ordered them for him--but he's not an inconsiderate guy so I just had to chalk it up to a misunderstanding and file the wine away. I'm relieved to have found it as interesting as I did last night.