Wine Advocate (Parker) rating 91 for 2000 vintage: "Medium-bodied, forward, and sexy, the medium to dark ruby-colored Shea 2000 offers cherry, spice, strawberry, cassis, and violet aromas. This feminine wine has lovely intensity and elegance. It is pure, sultry, packed with cherry as well as blackberry fruit, and has a long, supple finish. Projected maturity: now-2009." - Pierre Rovani
Parker rating for 99 vintage was 92 points"The 1999 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard is medium to dark ruby-colored and displays a dark fruit as well as a more present structure than is generally associated with this vineyard. It bursts from the glass with loads of blackberries, black cherries, and brambleberries. This is a medium to full-bodied wine with a gorgeously sappy character, copious quantities of fruit cake, blackberry syrup, dark cherry flavors, and a marvelously long finish. Its tannin is ripe yet present, giving it the backbone that many wines from this vineyard have lacked. Projected maturity: 2004-2012."
Winemaker Notes
When Ken (St. Innocent's sales manager) said that the 2000 Shea was a stylistic blend of the fruit of 1998 and the richness of 1999, I thought he was exaggerating. Well he wasn't. It is full of red and black fruit, dark flowers, and has lovely weight and length. It has the darkest components of all the wines produced from Shea Vineyard and has the structure to age. It reminds me a bit of the wines of Morey St.-Denis - lovely layered fruit and good concentration. It is a steal for its price. Match it with any red meat, grilled game birds, or grilled salmon. It will need 3-6 months to flesh out and I expect it to develop over 8 years.
Wine Advocate (Parker) rating 91 for 2000 vintage: