Bergström Silice Pinot Noir 2015
Named after the silica-rich sand and marine sedimentary soils that dominate Bergström’s picturesque Silice Vineyard the 2015 gracefully unspools in one long continuous ribbon, aromas of dark cherry and black raspberry form a dusky base that is knit together with crumbling limestone, kukicha twig tea and warm spice. Marine sedimentary soil reemerges on the finish, […]
Bergström Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016
One of Oregon’s most revered vineyards, Dick and Deirdre Shea have farmed this extraordinary 140-acre site for over 25 years. Thin, low-fertility soil overlay sandstone bedrock—here, the vines are forced to burrow deep in search of moisture and nutrients. The 2016 vintage slowly unfurls to reveal smoky, sexy layers of crushed lavender, seedy raspberry, black […]
Bergström Gregory Ranch Pinot Noir 2015
Bergström’s sublime 2015 Gregory Ranch Pinot Noir was one of the more restrained as compared with the rest of the lineup we tasted. Red and black fruit, anise and cola aromas glide above the firmament, well above a base layer suggestive of freshly turned tilth. It’s more broad-shouldered on the palate as well, slightly weightier, […]
Bergström Sigrid Chardonnay 2015
Finely tuned and elegant, somehow it reminds me of a 1937 Talbot-Lago — Bergström’s 2015 Sigrid Chardonnay displays beautiful, sweeping lines. Lemon curd, and orchard fruit usher in a treasure trove of secondary aromas: buttered toast, spearmint, orange blossom, and flint. On the palate, orchard and stone fruit laced in lemon pith and stony minerality […]
Bergström Bergström Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016
From John and Karen Bergström’s estate vineyard, planted in 1999, the 2016 Bergström Vineyard Pinot Noir offers up heady layers of raspberry eau-de-vie, sweet spice, and purple lilacs. The perception of lightness and nimbleness is probably one of the most important examples of Pinot Noir, but it does not matter . A long, glorious finish […]
Beaux Frères The Beaux Frères Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015
From Beaux Frères original estate vineyard, planted by Mike and Jackie Etzel from 1987 through 1991, and primarily to Pommard & Wädenswil clones, all on their own roots. The 2015 vintage is a portrait of weightlessness and concentration—an expression Oregon Pinot Noir can achieve in a good vintage, and under the watchful eye of a […]
Beaux Frères Gran Moraine Pinot Noir 2015
From a small, narrow vineyard aptly named The Tongue, Beaux Frères 2015 Gran Moriane Pinot Noir is made from Dijon clones planted in transitional volcanic marine uplift. Coastal influence has graced it with lavish aromas of ripe blue fruit, black raspberries, underbrush, lilacs, and a dusting of cocoa powder. The profile is more masculine in […]
Cristom Eileen Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015
Eileen is Cristom’s highest elevation vineyard, a 16-acre parcel that benefits from cooling marine breezes and low fertility Witzel and Nekia type soils. Raspberry and black cherry notes glide beneath with lighter tones of fragrant roses, hibiscus tea, and exotic spice. Lifted fruit, and racy acidity lead into silken tannins perched at the front palate, […]
Angela Estate Pinot Noir 2012
Angela, sweet Angela, you sang just as I’d hoped you would…with a lovely floral countenance of hibiscus flowers, rose petal, clove and baking spice swirl above richer, denser notes of black cherry, boysenberry and forest floor. Concentrated without being heavy, these wines are a masterpiece from Ken Wright, expressing Pinot’s full range and potential. The […]
Angela Estate ‘Abbott Claim’ Pinot Noir 2012
A blend of Pommard and clones 777 and 115, all rooted in ancient marine sedimentary soils that form the foundation and consequently the backbone of the 2012 Angela Abbott Claim Vineyard. Textbook growing conditions combined with this stellar site have yielded a wine with heady, rapturous aromas of hibiscus, musky black tea, mushrooms, truffles, smokey […]