2024 St. Innocent - Pinot Blanc Freedom Hill (750ml)
Vineyard
Freedom Hill Vineyard is located in the foothills of the Coast Range, 10 miles SW of Salem, Oregon. During the day, warm air rises from the valley floor ripening the skins. At night, cool ocean breezes act to retain acidity. Planted on old sedimentary soils, the vines have a SW exposure at an elevation of 520’ to 580’. Our Pinot noir comes from two blocks, one planted in 2004 with Pommard and Wädenswil and one planted in 2008 with 777.
Production
This Pinot blanc is produced in a style to accentuate texture and ripe fruit flavors. The must was fermented 24% in an Acacia cask and 76% in a tank and aged for eight months on the lees.
Harvest
2024 began with two frost events in April, at both Freedom Hill Vineyard and our Estate, Enchanted Way Vineyard. These occurred after bud break, killing the young shoots. Secondary shoots pushed three weeks later, delaying the harvest from the affected vines. Our Estate has much younger plants, and those shoots did not produce fruit.
Bloom for the rest of the sites and unaffected vines occurred in mid-June, a return to normal timing after several early vintages. The first fruit, from our Estate, was picked on September 17th. The last fruit of the vintage was picked on October 10th. In general, the fruit was ripe and clean, with well-developed flavors. Overall, the yield was moderate, with 124 tons harvested, yielding about 6,900 cases of wine.
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes
Lovely pale yellow gold color. The nose has yellow fruits and flowers, dominated by peach, yellow plum, daffodils, and just a hint of turmeric. It is quite lively and fresh on the palate with the fruits mixed with soft baking spices and melon. Charming, juicy, and bright acidity is followed by a fruit component that carries through to the finish. It is remarkably pretty into the finish, with the peach lingering. A wine I love with shellfish, it would also pair with a fish finished with a fruit salsa, a savory tart, or trout amandine. Made to be consumed now, it will retain its charm for 3-5 years.
-Winery notes