Shea Vineyard in Oregon

Shea Wine Cellars make wine from grapes grown in their Shea vineyard and sell grapes to some of the finest wineries.
There was a tasting of wines made of grapes from Shae vineyard with the wine makers.

Shea vineyard is sustainably farmed vineyard in Yamhill Carlton AVA, Oregon and known for Pinot Noir with blue and black fruit rather than red.
This part of the land was thought to be too close to the ocean therefore too cool for vine growing, but this particular part of the land is protected from the cool ocean breezes and proved to be capable of producing beautiful fruit.

Mr. Shea, Mark Vlossak from St. Innocent, Ken Bernards from Ancien Wines
(right to left)

Mr. Dick Shea, an owner of Shea vineyard, is a former investment banker who fell in love with Pinot Noir and changed his career when he was in 40s.
After selling grapes for ten years, Shea Vineyard started to make their own wine.

Ken Wright Cellars
2016 Shea Vineyard Red and blue fruit. Silky texture.
2012 Shea Vineyard Red fruit with good structure.

Penner-Ash Wine Cellars
2015 Shea Vineyard Raspberry, cranberry, strawberry and nut. Fluid-like texture with powdery tannin.
2004 Shea Vineyard Rose, tea, tobacco and mushroom. Complex wine with firm, gentle structure.

Raptor Ridge Winery
2015 Shea Vineyard Tart cherry, vanilla, nut.
2005 Shea Vineyard Fresh cherry, smoke, incense.
I found alcohol a little too high, but JC loved them.

Winderlea Vineyard and Winery
2015 Shea Vineyard Rose, ripe pink cherry, fresh cedar. Aromatic fruits which were supported by tannin.
2010 Shea Vineyard Dried mushroom on the nose, and fresh flower and fruit on palate. Smooth texture.


Ancien Wines
2015 Shea Vineyard Cherry, herb and fresh grass. Iron-like minerality.
2010 Shea Vineyard Tart cherry and milk. Texture was like fluid.

St. Innocent Winery
2014 Shea Vineyard Dried rose petal and cherry. A little flinty and tannin is fine.
2002 Shea Vineyard Preserved cherry, cassis and mushroom. It's 2002 vintage but there was still freshness.

Shea Wine Cellars
2014 Shea Vineyard Block 23 Fresh cedar, ripe cherry. Soft tannin and good acidity.
2008 Shea Vineyard Estate Rose, violet, cherry, plum and creme of cassis. Soft, velvety tannin.

These wines are all made by grapes from the same vineyard, but show different characters depending on vintage and the parcel grapes are from.

Mr. Shea and wine makers from the wineries respect each other and play a joke on each other. There  obviously is a strong bond between them.

Wines based on this trust and respect can't go wrong.