Bergström Pinot Noir Bergström Vineyard
WHY WE LOVE IT
- John and Karen Bergström planted Bergström Vineyard in the spring of 1999.
- Situated on a south-facing slope overlooking the northern Willamette Valley, this 13-acre vineyard is rooted in the ferrous, red clays of the Dundee Hills, a sprawling volcanic island of rock where hazelnuts, black walnuts and cane berries have thrived for more than a century.
- Six Pinot Noir clones (Pommard, Wädenswil and Dijon clones 114, 115, 667 and 777) are grown at this site.
- Ideally situated, the vines at Bergström Vineyard are bathed in the warm sunlight of the Oregon summer by day and cooled by the marine breezes of the Pacific Ocean by night, leading to freshness, vibrancy and structure in the final wines. Because the vine roots stretch deep into the volcanic basalt below the surface of the hillside, wines from this vineyard also embody true minerality.
- No invasive chemicals have been used at Bergström Vineyard in more than 12 years, and they are proud to be biodynamic.
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Elaboration: 100% stem inclusion in open-top wood fermenters and manual punch down. The winemaking is very reductive in style: no pump-over or racking is employed and elevage occurs in a mixture of vessels, including a 2,000 liter Slavonian Oak foudre, and a bit of French barrique, about 15% of which is new. No additions of yeasts, nutrients, acids, or H20 are used.
Tasting Notes: Aromas of citrus oil, tarragon, basil, mint, dark wild cherry, ripe strawberries, red roses, grilled meat, as well as a terracotta, baked clay minerality. It is bright and vibrant with dark cherry and red plum flavors complemented by savory herb and meaty notes which all lead into a juicy, succulent, and mouthwatering finish that is long, spicy, and complex with an iron-rich finish.
PRESS
2016 – 94 James Suckling | 95 Vinous
2017 – 92 Wine Advocate | 94 James Suckling | 94 Wine Spectator
2018 – 92 Wine Advocate | 94 James Suckling
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
The Bergström family business traces its roots to John Bergström’s Swedish heritage and the love he developed for the Pacific Northwest. John grew up in a small agricultural and logging village in northern Sweden. As a young teenager, he set out by himself for Oregon, eager to follow the American dream of creating a life better than the one he knew as a child. Ultimately, he became a surgeon, created a successful medical practice and raised five children in his new homeland. After many years, John decided to return to his agricultural roots and pursue his dream of winegrowing, eventually founding Bergström Winery.
In 1999, Josh Bergström, the fourth of five children, returned home to Dundee from a postgraduate program in Viticulture and Enology in the Burgundy region of France. With him, he brought his fiancée Caroline, and the two were married that fall in the Bergström Vineyard. Bergström Wines was also born that fall as the young couple harvested their first vintage of Pinot Noir from high-quality fruit purchased at a neighboring winery. Currently, Josh is general manager, winemaker and vineyard manager at Bergström Wines, and Caroline manages the sales team.
Bergström Wines consists of five estate vineyards totaling 84 acres that span across four of the Willamette Valley’s best appellations: The Bergström Vineyard, Silice Vineyard, Winery Block, Gregory Ranch and Le Pré du Col. Each estate vineyard is farmed without the use of harsh chemicals, systemic or fertilizers.