2015 Bergström Pinot Noir Silice
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Tasting notes
2015 was their first vintage with 100% whole bunch, having started with zero whole bunch. Chehalem is quite a large sub-AVA with a range of soil types, though here they have marine sediment. Ponzi was the pioneer. They can gets microbursts of hailstorms over this vineyard and in this vintage he lost 70% of the crop. Biodynamic farming. Lots of shatter in spring. Clusters quite large but few clusters so lots of UV and thick skins. Very warm year. He used to pick in the fourth week in Sept and now in the first week. Had to pick early and had to be careful with tannins. Bright cherry red. Red- and dark-fruited but sweeter and riper than the Eyrie Outcrop 2014 with no excess sweetness. Red cherry fruit – breathtakingly pure. You barely see the stem effect at first except in the upright tannins and some herbal character and a touch medicinal. Stems show a little more as the wine opens. Juicy and fresh and so beautifully balanced. Super-subtle and incredibly long. Becomes a little more overtly stemmy with time in the glass. Definitely more chewy. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Limpid ruby. Expansive raspberry preserve, cherry pie, floral pastille and incense aromas, along with a vibrant mineral quality. Juicy, vibrant and smooth on the palate, offering sappy, alluringly sweet red and dark berry and Asian spice flavors that tighten up slowly on the back half. Shows superb depth and clarity; there are no rough edges to be found. Refuses to let go on the finish, which features harmonious tannins and an array of exotic spice and floral notes.
Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2015 Pinot Noir Silice Vineyard has an animal/meaty nose with savory notes of baking bread and Marmite over a core of kirsch, bay leaves, pepper, black raspberries and red currant preserves. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm frame of chewy tannins and just enough freshness to support the muscular fruit, finishing long.