WTN: 1998 St. Innocent Seven Springs

[Nevan]

1998 St. Innocent, Seven Springs Vineyard (Willamette Valley, Oregon)

Younger purple rims, medium-hued brick-tinged ruby color. Sweet aromas of vanilla and leather hover above under-ripe red fruit and rose petal notes. Tart red cherry fruit flavor with a subtle sweet foundation that is nicely countered by a cranberry edge. Drying mouth feel with dusty tannins and ample acidity. Flavorful and pleasing but not deeply layered.

(Next morning the wine seemed remarkably unchanged. Note: Parker (Rovani) gave this wine a 94, and Spectator a 91. The group, composed of Oregon wine weenies, was surprised the wine showed so well. In my cellar I discovered there are two slightly different label versions. Holding the bottles up to the light, the wine color in one label version was clearly more red and the other more “orange.” We sampled one of the “redder” bottles. Makes me wonder . . .?)

["T"]

For the sake of science I think it's only proper you open the other bottle. For our sake as much as yours. :)