Shea over-rated? Hmmm.
In the sense of against all other Valley offerings from single sites, maybe, I guess. But I don't look at it that way. And neither does the winemaker.
The SI Shea is always the first one released, always the one that shows its suppleness sooner, and I think always the one that has a fairly simple straightforward black cherry appeal, with comparatively little complexity and depth when compared with the other SVs.
Plus (and I have no way of knowing if this is true or not, because I haven't asked) I get the idea that the Shea gets bottled in half-bottles, so the combo of half-bottles and forward fruit (and price) makes it the most prominent on restaurant lists.
My favorite of the SI is the Momtazi, which is simply amazing; intricate, multi-faceted, spicy as hell, and slow to come around. Can be stubborn and unyielding in its youth, but at maturity it is magnificent, like a Corton can be (but more like Corton with a surreptitious dollop of Hermitage in it, heh heh).
So, Shea over-rated? I wouldn't say that. I'd say that it sits quite firmly at the simpler, more wholesome and fruit-forward edge of the curve of Valley Pinots.
How's that for hedging?