2009 Bergström Old Stones Willamette Valley Chardonnay
Josh Bergström insists that Old Stones is for early drinking, but there's extraordinary depth here. Ripe and intense, this adds deep, creamy tones to bright apple, Meyer lemon and apricot flavors, with a wild-mushroom accent. A quintessence of Oregon Chardonnay.

2009 Bergström Wines Old Stones Chardonnay Willamette Valley 24 Jun 2011 by JR
Quite a funky nose. Off dry – sweeter than the Thomas Morey Chassagne-Montrachet, but better. Serious, juicy mineral chew. Much more interesting than most. And clean! Not desperate to be compared to burgundy. Good name!

2009 Bergström Wines Shea Vineyard Yamhill-Carlton District 24 Jun 2011 by JR
Jewelly nose. Rich start. Perhaps slightly less distinctive than its Cumberland Reserve stablemate. Big sweet wine. Though very serious in intention. Long. Rich. Briary

{94} 2009 BERGSTRÖM Wines - Bergström Sigrid Chardonnay
The new releases include one white wine, the 2009 Chardonnay Sigrid which is a selection of the top 10 barrels in the cellar out of 100. Complex mineral, pear, hazel nut, and white peach aromas inform the nose of a rich, nicely proportioned Chardonnay. In the glass tropical and butterscotch flavors emerge buttressed by a firm acid structure leading to a lengthy, pure finish. It can be approached now but has the material to evolve for 1-2 years and drink well for another 6-7.

{94} 2009  BERGSTRÖM Wines - Bergström Vineyard Pinot Noir
The flagship 2009 Pinot Noir ö Vineyard comes from a site planted in 1999. Dark ruby red in color, it proffers aromas of Asian spices, balsam wood, violets, black cherry, and black raspberry. Combining power with elegance unusual for this vintage, it is a nicely proportioned, succulent, already complex, pleasure-bent Pinot that will provide enjoyment through 2019.

{92} 2009  BERGSTRÖM Wines - Bergström Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir
The 2009 Pinot Noir Cumberland Reserve, a blend of vineyards with Shea and De Lancellotti playing the leading roles. Dark in color for the vintage, it displays an earthy minerality, violets, cedar, black cherry, and black raspberry. Dense and rich on the palate with lots of flavor, this concentrated effort can be approached now but will evolve for 1-2 years and drink well through 2019.

{92} 2009  BERGSTRÖM Wines - Bergström de Lancellotti Vineyard Pinot Noir
The 2009 Pinot Noir De Lancellotti displays the finest aromatics among the Bergstrom wines. Exotic spices, underbrush, sandalwood, rose petal, and a mix of red and black fruits are followed by a forward, elegant, spicy wine with plenty of depth and excellent length. It offers a drinking window extending through 2019.

{90} 2009  BERGSTRÖM Wines - Bergström le Pre du Col Vineyard Pinot Noir
The 2009 Pinot Noir Le Pre du Col Vineyard is a young site planted in 2006, 2007, and 2008. ö has a 30-year lease on the vineyard and does the farming. It is a spicy, savory, pleasurable offering but ultimately superficial. Balanced and lengthy, it shows plenty of promise for when the vineyard acquires some age.

{93} 2009  BERGSTRÖM Wines - Bergström Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir
The 2009 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard (Bergstrom is Shea's largest client taking about 10% of the production) sports aromas of exotic spices, sandalwood, floral aromas, black cherry, and plum. This sets the stage for a rich yet elegant Pinot Noir that displays elegance and class. Impeccably balanced and lengthy, it will continue to blossom for another 1-2 years and drink well through 2021 of not longer.

{92} 2009  BERGSTRÖM Wines - Bergström Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
The 2009 Pinot Noir Temperance Hill Vineyard exhibits an herbal quality characteristic of this cool site and was not harvested until November. Savory, ripe, and impeccably balanced, it reveals considerable depth and richness for the vintage as well as plenty of complexity. Give it 1-2 years of cellaring and drink it through 2019.

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{93} 2009 Bergström Wines Pinot Noir Bergström Vineyard Dundee Hills
Vivid ruby. Sexy, expansive aromas of red and dark berry liqueur, cola, star anise and fresh flowers, with a suave vanilla quality gaining strength with air. Sappy, deep and penetrating, offering a velvety texture and powerful raspberry and blackberry flavors. Shows the ripe side of the year but there's very good energy here too. The smooth, sweet finish offers impressive smoke- and spice-accented persistence.

{93} 2009 Bergström Wines Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard Yamhill-Carlton District
Opaque ruby. A flamboyant bouquet displays dark berry preserves, cola, potpourri and sandalwood, with a strong spicy quality and a touch of vanilla. Lush and expansive on the palate, offering juicy black raspberry and mulberry flavors given spine and lift by tangy acidity. Smoky and focused on the finish, which features floral pastille and spice nuances and excellent persistence.

{92} 2009 Bergström Wines Pinot Noir Winery Block Chehalem Mountains
Bright ruby-red. Sexy, highly perfumed aromas of black raspberry, cherry-cola, smoky herbs and potpourri. Broad, fleshy and seamless, with deep, surprisingly vibrant red and dark berry flavors picking up sweetness with air. Rich and powerful on the smoky finish, which leaves notes of vanilla and candied red fruit behind. This could be drunk now but really deserves a few years of cellaring.

{90} 2009 Bergström Wines Pinot Noir Temperance Hill Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills
Vivid ruby. Dark berries and cherry-cola on the nose, with complicating notes of musky flowers and incense. Offers sappy dark fruit flavors and notes of licorice and candied violet, along with a smoky nuance and a kiss of vanilla. Chewy tannins add grip to the long, focused, smoky finish. A bit of a tough read today but there's very good material here.

{91} BERGSTRÖM Winery - 2009 Bergström Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills
Firm in texture and light in structure, with an earthy edge to the ripe cherry and dark chocolate flavors, lingering on the expressive finish. Drink now through 2017. – H.S.

{92} BERGSTRÖM Winery - Sigrid Reserve 2009 Chardonnay
Polished, round and refined, with a pretty honey note weaving through the pear and cream flavors, nicely balanced by lemony acidity on the elegant finish. Drink now through 2014. – H.S.

{91} BERGSTRÖM Winery - Temperance Hill Vineyard 2009 Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills
Firm and a bit chewy, focusing its tarry black cherry and tobacco flavors into a sharp beam that pushes through the tannins and lets the flavors emerge unscathed. Best from 2013 through 2019. – H.S.

{91} BERGSTRÖM Winery - Old Stones 2009 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Light and focused, offering a juicy mouthful of blueberry, cur rant, mineral and wet earth flavors that linger with persistence, elegance and refinement. Drink now through 2017. – H.S.

{91} BERGSTRÖM Winery - Shea Vineyard 2009 Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton District
Firm and focused, with a good sense of density without weight to the cherry, oak and spice flavors, coming together nicely on the finish. Needs time to settle in. Best from 2013 through 2019. – H.S.

{94} 2008 BERGSTRÖM winery - Bergström "Sigrid" Chardonnay
The 2008 Chardonnay Sigrid is a blend sourced from 5 vineyards. It was fermented with both native and Burgundian yeasts, barrel-fermented in both new and seasoned oak, and remained in cask from 12-18 months. Medium-straw colored, it offers up an already complex perfume of minerals, floral notes, toasted nuts, pear, apple, and baking spices. Round and creamy on the palate, this supple offering has outstanding volume and grip, great focus, and a lengthy, pure finish. Give it 2-3 years of additional bottle age and drink it from 2012 to 2018.

{93} 2008 BERGSTRÖM winery - Bergström "Bergström Vineyard" Pinot Noir
The 2008 Pinot Noir Bergström Estate is sourced from the winery's 15 acres in the Dundee Hills AVA. Medium ruby in color, it exhibits an enticing bouquet of rose petal, spice box, toast, incense, cherry, and raspberry. On the palate it is the most succulent of the Bergström offerings with densely packed red fruits, a satin texture, plenty of structure, and a lengthy, sweet finish. Give it 2-3 years to fully blossom and drink it from 2012 to 2023.

{94} 2008 BERGSTRÖM winery - Bergström "Shea Vineyard" Pinot Noir
The 2008 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard (Josh Bergström is Dick Shea's largest client although not all the wine goes into the Shea bottling) is medium ruby-colored with more aromatic complexity than the preceding wines. Sandalwood, Asian spices, incense, rose petal, cherry, and raspberry scents lead to a medium to full-bodied (14.3% alcohol), ripe, structured wine with layers of fruit, outstanding grip and volume, and several years of aging potential. This packed offering merits 3-4 years of cellaring and will offer a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2023, perhaps longer.

{93} 2008 BERGSTRÖM winery - Bergström "de Lancellotti Vineyard" Pinot Noir
The 2008 Pinot Noir De Lancellotti Vineyard (sourced from his brother-in-law's biodynamically certified vineyard) is medium ruby red in color. Racy red cherries, raspberries, and mineral notes are followed by an elegant wine with a velvety texture, intensely flavored red fruits, uplifting acidity, and nicely concealed ripe tannin that should allow for a slow evolution of 3-4 years. It is approachable now but will be in its prime from 2013 to 2023.

{91} 2008 BERGSTRÖM winery - Bergström "Cumberland Reserve" Pinot Noir
The Bergström Pinot Noirs begin with the 2008 Pinot Noir Cumberland Reserve which sports an alluring nose of mineral, earth notes, spice box, black cherry, and black raspberry. Firm on the palate with layered, spicy fruit packed into its ample (14.1% alcohol) frame, it displays enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years, excellent concentration and balance, and a lengthy finish. It will be at its best from 2012 to 2020.

{91} 2008 BERGSTRÖM winery - Bergström "Temperance Hill Vineyard" Pinot Noir
The 2008 Pinot Noir Temperance Hill Vineyard is dark ruby in color with an expressive display of spicy/peppery aromas, smoke, black cherry, and black berry. This leads to an elegant, sweetly-fruited wine with considerable underlying structure giving the wine several years of aging potential. Precise and focused, this tasty, lengthy effort will deliver prime drinking from 2013 to 2023.

{92} 2009 BERGSTRÖM winery - Bergström "Old Stones" Chardonnay
The 2009 Chardonnay Old Stones went through full malolactic fermentation and was aged in roughly 40% new oak. Medium straw-colored, it reveals an expressive nose of smoke, toast, baked apple, pear, and hazel nuts. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has ample ripe, savory, layered fruit, excellent volume and concentration, a smooth texture, and a lengthy finish. Although it can be enjoyed now, it is likely to unwind for another 1-2 years and drink well for 5-6 thereafter.

{92} 2008 BERGSTRÖM Pinot Noir de Lancellotti Vineyard
A fresh and slightly herbal nose of red berry fruit and briar aromas leads to precise, intense and beautifully detailed flavors that possess plenty of energy and a fine sense of underlying tension on the linear, tight and persistent finish. This is clearly built to age and will require ample time to flesh out as it evolves. I wouldn't touch a bottle for at least 5 to 6 years. 92/2016+

{92} 2008 BERGSTRÖM Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard
Extremely subtle wood frames an expressive nose composed of blue pinot fruit, briar, sandalwood and a hint of spice that can also be found on the delicious, textured and vibrant medium-bodied flavors that are quite dry (in the best sense of the term), all wrapped in a brooding and sappy finish. Patience will be required but it should be worth the wait. 92/2016+

{91} 2008 BERGSTRÖM Pinot Noir Bergström Vineyard
Initially there is mild reduction present though after a short aeration, notes of fresh red berry fruit mixed with hints of briar, earth and crushed herbs blend into delicious and solidly concentrated middle weight flavors that culminate in an elegant and refined, dusty and firm finish. This is a serious effort that is also worthy of your attention. 91/2015+

{90} 2008 BERGSTRÖM Pinot Noir Cumberland Reserve
Those particularly sensitive to reduction will note its presence though as with the Bergström Vineyard, it dissipates relatively quickly to reveal ripe red cherry and dark berry fruit aromas cut with both earth and briar notes. The intense, fresh and energetic medium-bodied flavors possess good mid-palate concentration and finishes with verve and a hint of youthful asperity. This should reward 4 to 6 years of cellar time. 90/2015+

{94} 2008 BERGSTRÖM 2008 Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains de Lancellotti Vineyard
Firm in texture and light on its feet, this has red cherry, raspberry and tangy lime flavors that pick up a distinct mineral note as the finish expands and rolls on and on. This has all the pieces to develop into something special. Best from 2012 through 2018. H.S.

{93} 2008 BERGSTRÖM Pinot Noir Dundee Hills BERGSTRÖM Vineyard
Firm in texture and tightly packed with red cherry, raspberry, caramel and sassafras aromas and flavors, extraordinarily well-structured despite its light weight and harmoniously hinting at wet stone flavors as the expressive finish persists. Needs time. Best from 2012 through 2018. H.S.

{92} 2008 BERGSTRÖM Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge Le Pre du Col Vineyard
Supple, graceful and generous with its blueberry, currant and mineral flavors on a lithe, refined frame, persisting impressively on the long, harmonious finish. Drink now through 2018. H.S.

{91} 2008 BERGSTRÖM Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Temperance Hill Vineyard
Light and spicy, glowing with blueberry and cherry fruit, shaded with hints of mineral and clove as the finish lingers easily. This has grace and intensity. Drink now through 2018. H.S.

{92} 2008 BERGSTRÖM Chardonnay Sigrid
A Chardonnay with finesse, playing its citrusy pear flavors against lively acidity and a distinct wet stone minerality. Vibrant through the long finish. Drink now through 2016. H.S.

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Josh Bergström is now devoted full-time to his own winery, having finally concluded his last consulting contract. He told me that he was thrilled to be able to spend even more time in his estate vines "because that's where the wine is really made." On the subject, all of the Bergström estate vines, including the de Lancellotti vineyard, are now Demeter-certified organic. Bergström described 2008 as "a lot like 2007 but with the important difference that October wasn't rainy, which is really odd for Oregon." He told me that the key to a successful wine in 2007 was "to realize that you were never going to achieve high sugar levels so you had to wait for maturity, which eventually happened, just without a lot of sugar." He reiterated that the best 2007s from the WillametteValley "are wines that have real complexity but without super-richness or super-ripeness, which is great for people who like pinot built on a Burgundy model." What especially impresses him about the '08s "is their electricity, which gives them immediate appeal but also bodes well for long cellaring." By, Josh Raynolds

{91} 2008 Bergström Winery Pinot Noir Cumberland Reserve Willamette Valley
Vivid ruby. Black raspberry and cherry on the nose, with complicating notes of loamy earth and anise. Fresh and focused on the palate, offering gently sweet red fruit flavors and a late note of licorice pastille. Deep but lively pinot with very good finishing clarity and spicy cut. This is delicious now but will be even better with a couple years' bottle age.

{93} 2008 Bergström Winery Pinot Noir Temperance Hill Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills
Vivid ruby. Intensely perfumed scents of black raspberry, cherry-cola, anise and dried violet. Rich and fleshy but vibrant, offering lively red and dark berry flavors and good bracing acidity. A rooty sassafras note comes up with air and carries through a long, sappy, very pure finish. This is pretty seductive now but I'd give it at least another few years of bottle aging.

{93} 2008 Bergström Winery Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard Yamhill-Carlton District
Light ruby. Explosive aromas of blackberry and cherry compote are complicated by notes of potpourri, anise and smoky Indian spices. Brighter on the palate, showing sweet black raspberry and cherry flavors that become spicier with aeration. At once deep and vivacious, finishing with excellent clarity and an echo of fresh red fruits. Josh Bergström mentioned that he works with 13 of this vineyard's 135 acres, making him Dick Shea's largest buyer of fruit.

{94} 2008 Bergström Winery Pinot Noir De Lancellotti Vineyard Chehalem Mountains
Deep, vivid red. Lovely lift and purity to the aromas of wild strawberry, bitter raspberry and rose. Supple, sweet and delicious, with a juicy ripeness to the sappy red fruit, mineral and floral pastille flavors. Very suavely integrated acidity gives this wine a weightless feeling but it also packs a serious punch. Finishes with sweet tannins and outstanding mineral lift.

{94} 2008 Bergström Winery Pinot Noir Bergström Vineyard Dundee Hills
Bright ruby. Pure, vibrant aromas of raspberry, red cherry and fresh flowers. Juicy, silky and penetrating, with excellent lift to its red berry and candied floral flavors. At once deep and vibrant, in a strikingly elegant style. Finishes bright and persistent, with an alluringly delicate touch.