Josh Bergström is a busy man. According to his business card, he is general manager, vineyard manager and winemaker of his eponymous winery. And given the number of certified biodynamic wines he produces each year, it’s hard to believe that he has time to meet with me on this perfect summer afternoon at his winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
When I arrive, he’s in the back, checking on barrels of pinot noir that he’s preparing to bottle. Shortly, he comes bounding around the corner, a broad smile on his boyish face that belies his true age, and shakes my hand with such force that I feel like a crushed grape.
Winemaking was not originally on Josh’s occupational radar. His father, a surgeon in Portland, Ore., purchased 15 acres in the Willamette Valley in 1997 as a retirement project. Winemakers approached Dr. Bergström, an immigrant from Sweden, about growing grapes on his property. Slowly, the idea of winemaking crept into Josh’s blood, and several stints in Burgundy, learning winemaking at the hands of some of the world’s foremost pinot noir and chardonnay masters, honed his skills. He returned to Oregon with a passion for French-styled wines and his French wife, Caroline.
Today, Bergström Winery is a family affair, with Dr. Bergström helping out in the lab, while Josh’s siblings help out with duties ranging from accounting and finance to marketing and general business advice. Josh, as noted above, oversees all of the wine production, including vineyard specific pinot noirs, pinot gris and chardonnay.
Here are my favorite Bergstrom wines. All wines are from the Willamette Valley in Oregon and most are available in area wine shops. Retail prices are approximate.
The selection
» 2005 Bergström Pinot Gris ($20) Bright scents of grapefruit and passion fruit spring from the glass. Fresh grapefruit and white nectarines dominate the front of the palate while citrusy notes of lemon/lime provide a crisp, refreshing finish. Perfect with freshly shucked oysters or just a hammock.
» 2006 Bergström Eyrie Vineyard Chardonnay ($35) Aromas of fresh apples and zesty lemon fill out the nose while bright notes of green apple, toasty oak and citrus play out nicely on the medium-bodied frame. Notes of roasted nuts on the end provide a stylish finish that would make a piece of roasted halibut proud.
» 2006 Bergström “Sigrid” Reserve Chardonnay ($75) This is a new project for Bergstrom, who admits that the price tag for this limited production chardonnay — only 200 cases — will be the most expensive white wine produced in the valley. And with a gorgeous nose reminiscent of a Chassagne Montrachet (brioche toast, apples and slate) and a rich mouthfeel featuring layered flavors of buttery apples, pears and apricot tart, it’s worth every penny. According to Josh, the D.C. area should receive a couple of cases, so alert your favorite wine shop to be on the lookout for it.
» 2004 Bergström Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills ($55) These grapes, grown at a high-elevation site in the Dundee Hills, produce a meager half-ton of fruit per acre. The resulting wine possesses a spicy nose of cherry and wild strawberry and elegant flavors of red cherry, earth and tobacco. An ideal compliment to wild Oregon salmon.
» 2005 Bergström Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($30) The fruit for this wine is grown right on the winery’s property and undergoes “whole cluster” fermentation. Full, rich flavors of jammy strawberry and black tea cover the entire palate. The sweet tannins provide great structure and the touch of savory on the silky finish lends itself as a perfect pairing with Peking duck.
» 2005 Bergström de Lancelloti Vineyard Pinot Noir ($65) While I loved the jammy cherry and cola aromas on the pretty nose, it was the lush mouthfeel that grabbed my attention (and my tongue). Full flavors of dark cherry, ripe plum and cherry cola seem to float over the tongue, one their way to an elegant finish featuring a touch of Asian spice. Enjoy this wine with a seared tuna steak.
» 2005 Bergström Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills ($75) This pinot possesses a very complex nose of dark plums, violets, orange and cinnamon scents. Opulent flavors of strawberry jam, plums and black tea fill the mouth on an elegant frame leading to a smooth, long finish where a touch of cinnamon makes me long for a bowl of turkey chili to share with this wine.
» 2005 Bergström Vineyard “Whole Cluster Selection” Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills ($85) Another product of “whole cluster” fermentation, this fruit forward pinot features a big, sumptuous nose, loaded with earthy scents of plum and raspberry fruit. Wonderfully integrated flavors of black cherries, plum, spice and tea show beautifully on the front end with just a touch of black licorice on the smooth finish. I’d love to take this for a spin with saddle of rabbit.
Do you have a favorite royalty of wine? E-mail me at [email protected].
