Bergström Winery “Shea Vineyard” Pinot Noir
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Hailing from their six clonal blocks of Pinot Noir on the East Hill of Shea Vineyard, this wine defines the direction Bergstrom has taken towards delicacy and elegance in crafting wine from such a powerfully structured vineyard site.
- The mighty Shea Vineyard is perhaps Oregon’s best-known vineyard site due to the fact that Dick and Deirdre Shea have been selling Pinot Noir fruit to some of America’s most highly acclaimed winemakers for the past 25 years.
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Elaboration: A blend of whole cluster and destemmed fruit fermented and aged for 12 months in 10% new French oak barrels
Tasting Notes: Red ruby color with aromatics of violets, rhubarb, pomegranate, wild cane berries, mint and tomato leaf. There is also a hint of incense and savory herbs. Silky in texture with layered mouthfeel of textural ripe fine tannins and copious amounts of fruit and spice with notes of red cherry, bakers chocolate, cola, and baking spices.
PRESS
2016 – 91 Wine Advocate | 93 Wine & Spirits | 93 Wine Enthusiast | 95 Vinous
2017 – 92 Wine Advocate | 94 Wine Spectator
2018 – 95 Vinous | 91 Wine Advocate
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.