Drinking beautifully, very impressive balance given the vintage. Unlike some other 2013’s, there’s good fruit and richness balanced with a lip-smacking saline finish that reflects the acidity typical of 2013 Willamette Valley Pinot noir.
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With 7 years since the rain storms of 2013, the Bergstrom selections have won my heart as my favorite from the vintage.
Many of the wines in 2013 were challenging when young and the promise was that they would age well.
I honestly didn't find that to be true for many of them. Most just kind of turned into thin acid dirty messes.
However, Josh Bergstrom was clearly well prepared for a year like 2013. In a valley full of winemakers who wear their badge of honor based on a dogmatic resistance to intervention, it's refreshing to find a winemaker who is committed to terroir but willing to do what's necessary to make the wine delicious first.
The Winery Block is coming along nicely. It has some of the richest color and deepest weight of any Oregon 13 I've found. Of course it carries that sweet burgundy funk that you would expect from a rainy vintage but it also has midpalate and lengthy finish. Truly a best case scenario.
The 13s have definitely been a mixed bag for me as I drink through the Willamette Valley 7 years later.
This specimen, however, stands hear and shoulders above the rest. I've said it before and I'll say it again... Josh Bergstrom is making some of the most profound and consistently enjoyable wines in Oregon. He has a knack for striking the balance between capturing the terroir and the essence of the vintage without letting the defects that pop up along the way from overtaking the storyline. I respect his ability to adjust and manipulate without turning out a manipulated wine.
This wine has a purity of fruit and an intensity of flavor and aroma that is definitely rare from the vintage. Bing cherries, vanilla creme, pink peppercorns, cheesecake, and flinty minerality on the nose.
The structure on this wine is remarkably powerful. The tannins are, believe it or not, a little on the young side. I have one more of these in my cellar and I'm going to slate it for 2033 - because I want to see how it does and I honestly think it will go the distance.
If you think that's crazy though, And you have one in your collection that you are trying to decide when to open, I would say just give it another three or four years from now. I'm not seeing the earthy side of this wine peeking through yet and I know it's in there somewhere.
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Good wine. Not a bad QPR. My wife loved it but I would rank it as “meh” given it’s fairly narrow range. That said, we had this without food, and I believe it would show much better with.
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Silky and well-balanced red fruits and earth tones. Nice on its own and with roast chicken and vegetables. Very nice on day two - if anything perhaps a bit more structure. Will probably improve with more time in the bottle.
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7/17/2022 - sjp1323 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great!
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12/24/2021 - Thellie wrote: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully, very impressive balance given the vintage. Unlike some other 2013’s, there’s good fruit and richness balanced with a lip-smacking saline finish that reflects the acidity typical of 2013 Willamette Valley Pinot noir.
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9/4/2020 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine: 92 Points
With 7 years since the rain storms of 2013, the Bergstrom selections have won my heart as my favorite from the vintage.
Many of the wines in 2013 were challenging when young and the promise was that they would age well.
I honestly didn't find that to be true for many of them. Most just kind of turned into thin acid dirty messes.
However, Josh Bergstrom was clearly well prepared for a year like 2013. In a valley full of winemakers who wear their badge of honor based on a dogmatic resistance to intervention, it's refreshing to find a winemaker who is committed to terroir but willing to do what's necessary to make the wine delicious first.
The Winery Block is coming along nicely. It has some of the richest color and deepest weight of any Oregon 13 I've found. Of course it carries that sweet burgundy funk that you would expect from a rainy vintage but it also has midpalate and lengthy finish. Truly a best case scenario.
The 13s have definitely been a mixed bag for me as I drink through the Willamette Valley 7 years later.
This specimen, however, stands hear and shoulders above the rest. I've said it before and I'll say it again... Josh Bergstrom is making some of the most profound and consistently enjoyable wines in Oregon. He has a knack for striking the balance between capturing the terroir and the essence of the vintage without letting the defects that pop up along the way from overtaking the storyline. I respect his ability to adjust and manipulate without turning out a manipulated wine.
This wine has a purity of fruit and an intensity of flavor and aroma that is definitely rare from the vintage. Bing cherries, vanilla creme, pink peppercorns, cheesecake, and flinty minerality on the nose.
The structure on this wine is remarkably powerful. The tannins are, believe it or not, a little on the young side. I have one more of these in my cellar and I'm going to slate it for 2033 - because I want to see how it does and I honestly think it will go the distance.
If you think that's crazy though, And you have one in your collection that you are trying to decide when to open, I would say just give it another three or four years from now. I'm not seeing the earthy side of this wine peeking through yet and I know it's in there somewhere.
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6/6/2020 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine:
Good wine. Not a bad QPR. My wife loved it but I would rank it as “meh” given it’s fairly narrow range. That said, we had this without food, and I believe it would show much better with.
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4/9/2016 - Snoski62 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Silky and well-balanced red fruits and earth tones. Nice on its own and with roast chicken and vegetables. Very nice on day two - if anything perhaps a bit more structure. Will probably improve with more time in the bottle.
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12/7/2015 - smphelps wrote: 87 Points
Cranberry color. Light and tight with cranberry and raspberry mixed with light spice tea. Probably not built for the long term.
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