# Momtazi Vineyard Pinot Noir (2012)

- **Producer:** St. Innocent Winery
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Pinot Noir
- **Region:** Oregon, United States
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €55
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, raspberry, violet, black pepper, vanilla, cloves, cedar, toast, forest floor, wet leaves, leather, mushroom, game

## About this wine

St. Innocent Winery, founded in 1988 by Mark Vlossak, is highly regarded for producing terroir-driven Pinot Noirs in Oregon's Willamette Valley. The Momtazi Vineyard is located in the McMinnville AVA, nestled in the foothills of the Coast Range. This site is planted on steep, south-facing slopes with uplifted marine sedimentary loams and basalt soils. The 2012 vintage in Oregon was highly praised, characterized by a warm, dry summer and a perfect autumn ripening period, yielding wines of exceptional balance, concentration, and structural integrity.

## Interesting facts

- Momtazi Vineyard has been farmed strictly biodynamically since its initial planting in 1999.
- The McMinnville AVA is heavily influenced by cool evening winds blowing from the Pacific Ocean through the Van Duzer Corridor.
- Winemaker Mark Vlossak was inspired to make wine after tasting professional bottles with his father, a prominent wine importer.

## Food pairing

The bright, food-friendly acidity and structured tannins of this McMinnville Pinot Noir cut beautifully through rich, fatty meats like duck and salmon. Meanwhile, the wine's earthy, dark-fruit profile harmonizes perfectly with forest-floor flavors, particularly wild mushrooms and truffles.

## Wine making process

The fruit was hand-harvested and gently de-stemmed. Fermentation took place in small, open-top stainless steel fermenters with native yeasts. Gentle punch-downs were performed to manage extraction. The wine was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, of which approximately 25% were new, sourced from select French cooperages. To preserve its natural texture and aromatic complexity, the wine was bottled without fining or filtration.