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Christina Kelly,
Avalon Wine Senior Editor

Christina Kelly spent the first half of her career as a journalist for daily newspapers and magazines. She left daily journalism to work in corporate marketing/communications, but as a passionate wine enthusiast, she continues to write about the Northwest wine industry (since 1997) for many national publications.

Christina is a multiple fellowship winner to the Professional Wine Writers Symposium in Napa, including 2012. Christina has written for Avalonwine.com for the past 12 years. She can be reached at winewriter@comcast.net.

Jean Yates
Avalon Wine Owner

Jean first worked with the Oregon wine industry in 1989, when she helped develop marketing brochures for wineries in the South Willamette. She then started Avalon, and has supported the industry through her wine shop and web site ever since. Jean enjoys promoting Oregon and Washington wines and bringing Northwest wines to the notice of the wine-loving public across the country. She previously worked in high tech marketing and research in Silicon Valley.

Jean built and continually updates the Avalon web site, writes our Wine Club Newsletter, numerous e-mail articles on NW wine, and articles for the web site. Her twenty five years of experience working with NW wineries and winemakers gives Avalon a deep knowledge of the industry. She's judged NW wine at various competitions since 1997. Jean's favorite activity is photography, and many of the images on the Avalon web site are hers. She's from NC via Palo Alto, and lives in the South Willamette wine country.

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October 30, 2009, at 2:07 pm

Oregon Wine- Shea “Homer” Pinot noir 07 – Parker 94

By Jean Yates Avalon Wine, on October 30th, 2009

sheawinecellarsShea Wine Cellars’ “Homer” Pinot noir 07 received  the highest score –  94 points – of any 2007 Oregon Pinot noir reviewed by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.  The Wine Advocate report on Oregon Pinot noirs was released today online and in print.

Jay Miller, Oregon wine reviewer for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, called the 2007 Shea “Homer” Pinot noir 07 “a candidate for wine of the vintage.”

Shea Wine Cellars and  Shea Vineyard are both owned by Dick Shea. Over the years, Dick has selected the best rows of grapes from the vineyard (he sells grapes to 22 wineries) and puts them into the “Homer” Pinot noir.  Jay Miller, writing in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate says: “Dick Shea has 22 clients for the fruit he grows at his large Yamhill-Carlton estate, most of whom vineyard designate the resulting wine. More often than not, it is the best wine in their respective portfolios.”

Here’s Wine Advocate’s tasting note for the  2007 Shea Wine Cellars “Homer” Pinot noir: “The 2007 Pinot Noir Homer is a selection of the top 13 barrels in the cellar (out of 205). Dark ruby-colored, it sports a slightly brooding bouquet of sandalwood, incense, damp earth, black cherry, and plum. It is the richest, densest wine in the collection as well as the best balanced. This silky-textured, deep, lengthy effort will evolve for 4-6 years and drink well through 2022. It is a candidate for wine of the vintage.”

Here’s my tasting note for the 2007 Homer from earlier this year:  The word “voluminous” comes to mind in describing the Shea Homer 07. It’s a powerful wine, richly scented with intermingled blackberry, cinnamon, and a tantalizing hint of violets.

The Homer is a tapestry of flavors – blackberry, black currant, black cherry and blueberry. A smidgen of red raspberry, red cherry, rose perfume and sweet spice shows through the massive dark fruit. The tannins are present and perfectly balanced, with an intriguing hint of briar and earth. The tannins don’t intrude but contribute a generous structure for aging. Drink now if you have to, but this wine can be cellared for many years. – Jean

Shea Wine Cellars also makes a Shea Wine Cellars East Block 07 (92 points), a Shea Wine Cellars Estate 07 (91 points and on sale at $10 off), and a Shea Wine Cellars Pommard 07 (not rated, and a crowd pleaser). You can see all of the current selection of Shea Wine Cellars wines here.

Below,  Shea Vineyard, September 2009

shea-vyd-600p-9-09

The word “voluminous” comes to mind in describing the Shea Homer 07. It’s a powerful wine, richly scented with intermingled blackberry, cinnamon, and a tantalizing hint of violets.
The Homer is a tapestry of flavors – blackberry, black currant, black cherry and blueberry. A smidgen of red raspberry, red cherry, rose perfume and sweet spice shows through the massive dark fruit. The tannins are present and perfectly balanced, with an intriguing hint of briar and earth. The tannins don’t intrude but contribute a generous structure for aging. Drink now if you have to, but this wine can be cellared for many years.

October 30th, 2009 | Category: Oregon Wine | Comments are closed

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