The Return of St. Innocent Momtazi!

2007 St. Innocent Momtazi is one of the most controversial wines to have graced these boards. 2011’s growing season had some of the same difficulties as 2007. Is St. Innocent trying to avoid a similar shitstorm for their 2011 vintage?

They probably don’t give a damn about this board, but they do seem to care about their Momtazi…and decided to make a white pinot noir (I guess) out of it, rather than bottling a single vineyard pinot…

From the winemaker:

2011 was a very late vintage with a cool October. Some parts of Momtazi Vineyard struggled to ripen (and just survive). It became clear that they would not ripen sufficiently to produce Pinot noir, so I decided to make a crisp, low-alcohol white (not rosé) wine; beautifully crisp with perfumed aromas and bright peach and plum flavors. It is similar to a cool-vintage, Kabinett German Riesling.

Hated the 07 Momtazi (quite possibly the most foul, non-flawed wine I ever tasted) and have only tried one white Pinot Noir – the 2008 Anne Amie Prisme Pinot Noir Blanc – and while I didn’t hate it, I didn’t care for it either.

An easy pass.

There have been more controversial wines. Sierra Carche. '03 Pegau. Puffeny Poulsard. Cornelissen Magma. Mollydooker. Ghost Horse. The rise, fall, and disappearance of Greg Piatigorski. Not to mention the whole Kosta Brown hysteria thing, SQN hysteria thing, Turley hysteria thing, etc.
I looked back and I have to admit though, it is surprising how many posts there were about the '07 Momtazi by Mark Vlossak. The controversy isn’t so much the wine style or wine, but whether Mr. Vlossak should have ever released it. Shouldn’t well regarded winemakers be awarded a mulligan now and then? To do otherwise just reinforces all the conservative winemaking out there. I hate to bring it up, but Steve Edmunds is simply one of the best winemakers extant, and yet his '98 Wylie-Fenaughty syrah, if memory serves, was almost entirely reeking of some bacterial spoilage. Sh*t happens.

No controversy as far as I’m concern, and if they’re not making it this year I do believe it has to do in part with what was said on this board.

Mark didn’t make it from 2011 because it was not even possible. Leaves off the vines with the brix below 19, maybe 18. One could not have made traditional Pinot Noir from it no matter how much sugar you added. So they decided to make white Pinot Noir and it is HUGELY popular. I really have never had anything quite like it. Crisp acidity, barely off white (tiny bit pink), tremendous fruit, low alcohol, maybe 2% RS.

It truly was a case of having a very difficult situation and making something that is not just good, but great in my mind. This is what a great winemaker does. The wine is so interesting that I have talked to Mark about making about 300 cases of this for us (Zenith Vineyard) in 2012.

So, Tim, you think this is more than just novelty? I have to admit that the existence of residual sugar in a white pinot noir was a red flag for me. Not sure why, I just have visions of Sutter Home “White Cabernet” drifting through my head.

No it is definitely very nice and the RS is only noticeable as a certain softness mingled with the otherwise good acidity; I tasted it recently and it was very tasty and refreshing.

Tim,
Can you describe the 2011 pinots at tis time.I realize that They will be low alcohol.

Will the 2011 vintage mirror 2007? And will more wineries follow SI producing white Pinot?

Thanks,Joe

Can’t speak to the 07 and 11, but the 08 is very good, fwiw.

Ian, I totally agree

Hi Joe,

We do a Zenith winemaker dinner, this year it was on April 13th where the wineries that make wine from Zenith fruit all bring their 2011 barrel samples and their 2010 bottled wines. Accross the board the 2011s were very impressive concentrated, if low alcohol wines. Perhaps Todd Hamina will chime in as he was obviously at the dinner or Vincent Fritzsche might comment. In general we liked the 2011s more than 2010

2011 (or 2010 for that matter) has NOTHING in common with 2007 except relatively low alcohol. 2007 was all about five inches of rain that fell during the first half of October.

Thanks Tim, Joe

Just picked up a 11’ Maysara Momtazi ROSE! I’ll post when I crack it.

The 2011 are very nice and pretty. Mine are not yet finished with malo, but are bright and promising. They have all the positive attributes of 07 and 10, perhaps they could use more stuffing? It’s still early.

Oh, and Tim and Kari’s dinner is always a treat. Starts off with a geek and speak about the current vintage in barrel, everyone does a show and tell. I particularly liked Dave Paige’s wines (Adelsheim) and both the St. I and ZZV. I like mine too, but that should be a given… There are a bunch of different styles, and the vineyard does show through. I’m convinced my blocks are the nicest. :wink:

Of course your blocks are the nicest Todd… just don’t tell anybody…Need to keep Mark, Dave, Luisa, Morgan, Jim, John, Vincent and Matt happy too…

+1

I guess Momtazi is the poster child for PN. All that is good and challenging.