St. Innocent Seven Springs Vineyard Pinot noir 06

This pinot is all about the fruit. Delicate aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, and black currant rise from the glass. Pure, fresh black fruit flavors echo the scent and are joined by creamy toast and white pepper. Expanding in the mouth, seamless, silky tannins create balance and structure.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate 92 Points:

"The 2006 Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard offers a complex bouquet of pain grille, spice box, damp earth, black cherry, and black raspberry. This is followed by a medium- to full-bodied wine with gobs of dark fruits, intense, savory flavors excellent depth and concentration, and a 45-second finish. Drink it from 2010 to 2018."

Tanzer 92 points "Full red. Spicy raspberry and cherry aromas are complicated by notes of cinnamon, mace and dried rose. Deeper cherry and cassis flavors pick up musky floral and herbal character with air, with zesty mineral and spice notes providing clarity and shape. The spiciness extends through the long, gently sweet finish and hangs on tenaciously. This would be great with a piece of dry-aged steak."

2006 will be the last vintage of Seven Springs Pinot noir from St. Innocent.

Previous Vintage Tasting Notes

2005 Vintage Tasting Notes

Oh the sweet taste of Seven Springs fruit handled by St. Innocent. The 05 Seven Springs begins with darker mixed berry and currant aromas, shaded by a background of earth. An initial burst of fruit--mixed berry, red currant, and hints of blueberry and plum--are cut by zingy acidity. We love the way Mark Vlossak uses oak, and the barrel spice perfectly accents, never dominates.

Although the Seven Springs in normally the more forward of the pair (Seven Springs and Anden), this wine is built for aging. Fine tannins, bright, juicy acidity, and a sweet core of dark fruit--all in balance--means years of enjoyment.

Previous Vintage Tasting Notes

St Innocent Seven Springs Pinot noir 04

Tasting notes from Marcus: I'm not ashamed to say it-I kind of flipped out when my nose met the aromas coming from the '04 Seven Springs. Loads of darker red fruit, with a hint of creamy wild strawberry, violets, and toasty oak. Wines from Seven Springs often show an incredible depth of fruit and in the '04 St. Innocent, it's layer upon layer of juicy red fruit. Superb weight, body, and ultrafine tannins add to the silkiness while faint white pepper notes accent the "wait, it's been two minutes" finish. Just delicious.

According to winemaker Mark Vlossak, the 2004 Seven Springs was fermented in a French oak, Burgundy-style Vicard fermenter. Fermenting in oak, a lot harder to do than in the usual stainless steel, adds depth and texture to Pinot noir (when it is done right). This Seven Springs Vineyard Pinot is made from a special selection of only the three best barrels (20 some cases each).

St Innocent Seven Springs Pinot noir 03

A pure, feminine, fascinatingly complex Pinot noir, all sophistication where the Freedom Hill is brooding and muscular, beautiful balance of red fruit,s, floral notes of roses and violets, hints of milk chocolate, nutmeg, cinnamon, fine, fine tannins entwine the ever changing flavors. The 2002 vintage had a Wine Advocate rating of 94 points. Just superb. Shipping September, 2005.

St Innocent Seven Springs Pinot noir 02

Seven Springs is the benchmark wine for St. Innocent. Its nose is dominated by sweet, wild, almost brambly fruits, and has significant hints of pumpkin pie spice, white pepper, and wild mushrooms. Initially the layered dark red flavors dominate, then spices and complex focused flavors follow into its long finish. This is wine for game and wild mushrooms - those wild and earthy flavors in the food bring out all the layers in this wine.

I suggest that you either drink Seven Springs when it is young (up to four years from vintage) or wait until it is at least eight years old. In the early years, you will enjoy the freshness of the fruit balanced with its rustic qualities. By waiting longer, aged flavors develop and Seven Springs will increase in both intensity and purity of its components. It will be worth the wait. Seven Springs Pinot noirs will continue developing for at least 12 years. - the winery

St Innocent Seven Springs Pinot noir 01

Its nose is dominated by sweet, wild, almost brambly fruits, and has significant hints of pumpkin pie spice, white pepper, and wild mushrooms. Initially the layered dark red flavors dominate, then spices and complex focused flavors follow into its long finish. This is wine for game and wild mushrooms - those wild and earthy flavors in the food bring out all the layers in this wine.

I suggest that you either drink Seven Springs when it is young (up to four years from vintage) or wait until it is at least eight years old. My rational is to either enjoy the freshness of the fruit or wait long enough for the aged flavors to develop. It will be worth the wait.This is the benchmark wine for St. Innocent. Multiple layers of wild black and red fruit, complex pie spice, white and black pepper and, with some age, truffles and farm aromas. Either drink in the first five years, or wait for the second peak after 8 years. Seven Springs Pinot noirs will continue developing for at least 12 years. - the winery

Beginning in 2001, our Seven Springs Vineyard Pinot noir changed. Before 2001, St. Innocent was the only winery to produce a Seven Springs Vineyard Pinot noir from both the original lower block of grapes (now called Anden)and the upper block which was planted in 1988. In 2001, the vineyard was legally divided into two separate properties. The upper block is still called Seven Springs. From what was one wine, there are now two different vineyard designate wines.