I am excited to be among the very first to review brand new 2021 Pinot Noirs from Shea Wine Cellars. As far as I am aware, only the Chardonnay was made in 2020, so these new Pinot Noir releases are most welcome.
Currently the 290 acre property includes 155 planted acres. All but six are Pinot Noir, with the remaining producing Chardonnay. A good overview of the various blocks is on the website here.
A who’s who list of top tier Oregon producers not only purchase Shea grapes, but honor the vineyard with Shea-designated Pinots. Among past and present clients are Antica Terra, Archery Summit, Bergström, Boedecker, Broadley, Chapter 24, Elk Cove, Ken Wright, Penner-Ash, Purple Hands, Raptor Ridge, Rex Hill, Stevenson-Barrie, St. Innocent and Winderlea.
More than a few leading winemakers have at one time done winemaking for the Shea winery brand, including Ken Wright (1999 – 2000), Patty Green (2001), Sam Tannahill (2002 – 2004, Chris Mazepink ((2004 – 2007) and Drew Voight (2008 -2011). Dana Booth has been the on-site winemaker since 2019.
Prior to founding his vineyard, Dick Shea spent 25 years on Wall Street, mostly on the trading floor for Dillon Read, owned by the Dillon family of Chateau Haut Brion fame. He points to those years as his introduction to fine wine, which in turn led to a love affair with Oregon Pinot Noir.
Planting at Shea began almost immediately, in what had been fallow pasture land, and the first grapes were harvested in 1989. The estate winery debuted in 1996. Various block and clonal selections are offered each year, along with an estate reserve called Homer. “We are not trying to make the same wine every year, but rather to bring out the best that each vintage allows,” Shea explains. “Essentially we are trying to turn great fruit into great wine.”
The first 2021 wines (Block 23, Block 7 and Breakaway) went out to mailing list members earlier this month. The rest of the 2021s (including Homer, Block 5 “and a few surprises”) will be released in the fall.
I tasted the wines listed here over several days after they’d rested for some weeks in my wine cellar. Scores are preliminary given that the wines are very young and built to age. If you are not already a club member, I urge you to sign up as that is far and away the best way to obtain most of these wines. I will update with pricing as it becomes available.
Shea 2020 Estate Chardonnay
Super compact. Apple, Asian pear, a touch of citrus. Limited barrel impact but after many hours a nice streak of butterscotch emerges. This needs a lot of time - I urge decanting. 410 cases; 13%; $xx (Yamhill-Carlton) 91/100
Shea 2021 Block 23 Pinot Noir
Block 23 is all Pommard clone, and this wine fully expresses the fruit power for which Pommard is known. Black raspberry and cherry fruit dominates, with a seam of metal running down the spine. It's an interesting race between this and the Block 7 and each takes the lead at different stages over a 48 hour period. Here the structure and length suggest an optimal drinking window from 2025 to 2035. 300 cases; 14.3%; $xx (Yamhill-Carlton) 93/100
Shea 2021 Block 7 Pinot Noir
All Wadenswil clone, this is solidly built with black cherry, wet stone minerality, clean earth and a dash of ground coffee. It's young but well integrated and after being open for 24-48 hours it continued to open up and develop further layers and depth. Should age well over the next decade or longer. A wine for the cellar most definitely. 175 cases; 14.3%; $xx (Yamhill-Carlton) 93/100
Shea 2021 Breakaway Pinot Noir
This new cuvée is a barrel selection seemingly for lower alcohol, higher acid lots. A "breakaway" from the usual Shea style, this reflects changing trends and styles in Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. It aims for and achieves more elegance and nuance, perhaps at the expense of power. Mountain berry, hints of pine needle, and tart acids define this wine. So it's up to individual taste to determine if this is a step forward or not. For me it's a welcome addition to the usual powerhouse lineup. 250 cases; 13.3%; $xx (Yamhill-Carlton) 92/100