The 2016 Pinot Noir Block 7 is medium to deep ruby-purple in color with a nose of cooked black cherries, blueberries and boysenberries with earthy accents. Full-bodied, it fills the mouth with cooked black and blue fruits and earth, with firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing spicy.

The 2014 Pinot Noir Block 7 has a medium ruby-purple color and notes of chargrill, smoked meat and Indian spices over a core of kirsch and red currant jelly plus a touch of dried roses. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with spicy red and black fruit preserves, supported by rounded tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with peppery nuances and some warmth.

The 2013 Pinot Noir Block 7 is one of the first to be picked by Dick Shea and is the only 2013 from Shea that is over 14% alcohol. It has an aromatic bouquet with dark berry fruit, a faint sea-spray influence, truffle and touches of dried orange peel. The palate is medium-bodied with a svelte texture, nicely judged acidity, layers of sappy red cherry and wild strawberry notes with a splash of balsamic towards the finish. This is a refined and elegant 2013 Pinot Noir from Shea Wine Cellar – just beautiful.

The 2012 Pinot Noir Block 7 comes from just Wadenswil clone, completely destemmed and matured in 70% new French oak. The fruit here is darker than the West Hill Pinot Noir, although the new wood component comes through quite strongly at the moment, revealing mocha and cola scents. The palate is medium-bodied and slightly savory in the mouth: hints of dried blood and black pepper toward the finish. It would benefit from more harmony toward the finish that feels unsettled, perhaps partly due to a bit of acid adjustment.

From steeply situated, southerly-facing Wadenswil vines on the east side of his property, Shea’s 289 cases of 2011 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard Block 7 weighs in at 13.6% alcohol, i.e. on the high side for the present collection, and received two-thirds new wood. Lovely overtones of wisteria and violet mingle with smoky black tea and humus as well as scents of dark cherry and cassis that then manifest themselves with lusciously ripe, chocolate tinged juiciness on a finely tannic palate. The complexity promised on the nose – even that of floral effusion – is redeemed in a long finish free of any oak interference but tingling with energy and subtle tartness that spell “2011.” This beauty ought to be well worth returning to through 2022. New Zealander Blair Trathen (formerly with Rex Hill) inherited Shea’s winemaking mantle from Drew Voit in the spring of last year, so the 2011s here were still largely Voit’s work. Their picking took place from the third weeks in October through November 2. “We did wave upon wave of crop-dropping and sorting,” reports Dick Shea, Aand potential alcohols were the lowest we’ve ever had,” the musts being chaptalized by a fairly constant amount to leave finished alcohol levels of between 13.0 and 13.7%. “Given high malic and low pH,” remarked Trathen, “these wines took a long time to chug through malo-lactic fermentation.” But, as usual, all of them were bottled in August, meaning more than a month younger – not to mention much closer to the termination of malo-lactic – than would usually be the case. (As explained in my introduction to this report, what that might mean for their bottle evolution – and that of so many other Willamette Pinots in a similar situation – I’m not prepared to speculate.) Also as usual, the Block 23 and Homer bottlings will have been released this fall (following on the heels of the Estate and West Hill), while Block 7 won’t be released before the end of this year or early next. (For considerable detail about the history and character of this renowned property, consult my 98 Issue 202 introduction.) Tel. (503) 487-6511