One of the great value lineups in Oregon wine, St. Innocent was founded by Oregon Wine Pioneer, Mark Vlossak. Mark made his first single vineyard wine in 1989 from the O’Connor Vineyard. The wines that Mark makes have a beginning, middle and end. They are textural beauties that age so gracefully.
Mark has a deft touch for white wine and his whites have consistently been on my Top 100 wines of North America over the past five plus years. Check out the 2024 ‘Freedom Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Blanc (OB, 93) which is rich and dense stuff with serious mouthfeel and great flavor range. Learn more about these awesome wines at https://stinnocentwine.com Here are the great new releases by St. Innocent.
2021 St. Innocent ‘Cremant Rose’ Sparkling Wine- Made from mainly Pinot Blanc (87%) grapes fro the Freedom Hill Vineyard, this is a vibrant pink in the glass. This is both dense and weighty with serious salty tension. Gorgeous red fruits parade with nutty nuances on the palate. There isn’t a wine quite like this in the new world, offering both a refined mousse and glorious length, with the faintest kiss of sweetness. Drink 2026-2034- 93
2024 St. Innocent ‘Freedom Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Blanc- Rich, fleshy and delicious, the 2024 ‘Freedom Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Blanc has just a kiss of sweetness on the palate. Peach and green papaya flavors parade with nutty nuances and copious minerals on this highly-complex bottling. Enjoy this beauty over the next seven plus years to come. Drink 2026-2033- 93
2022 St. Innocent ‘Cavalier Cuvee Freedom Hill Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The 2022 ‘Cavalier Cuvee’ comes from old vine Chardonnay sourced from the acclaimed Freedom Hill Vineyard. This is wonderfully reductive and flinty on the nose with beeswax, white flowers and Japanese pear notes. The palate comes off big, rich and fat despite the coolness of the vintage. Beautifully-textured, with serious length, be sure to not serve too cold! Drink 2025-2035- 95
2022 St. Innocent ‘Freedom Hill Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Sourced from this location in the Mt. Pisgah AVA, roughly ten miles southwest of Salemon, this is old-vine Chardonnay set on marine sedimentary soils. It is viscous stuff with great salty character. Pastry crust, mango and shades of nectarine skin all combine with baking spices on the palate. Both nervy and rich, enjoy over the next ten years to come. Drink 2026-2036- 94
2024 St. Innocent ‘Villages Cuvee’ Pinot Noir- A seriously good value, the 2024 ‘Villages Cuvee’ Pinot Noir is loaded with loganberry, strawberry and red cherry fruits alongside wet gravel and bergamot nuances on the palate. Medium-bodied, with good lift and texture, enjoy now. Drink 2026-2032- 92
2022 St. Innocent ‘Freedom Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Coming from this accliamed location in the Mt. Pisqah AVA, the 2022 ‘Freedom Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir comes off salty and savory, loaded with tension and bright red fruits. Medium to full-bodied, with terrific texture and mouthfeel, this is already drinking beautifully at the four year mark. Enjoy over the next ten plus years. Drink 2026-2038- 94