Bergstrom is always one of the first names that come to mind when discussing the absolute pinnacle of Oregon wines. Sensationally pure, with a rare combination of concentration and elegance, these wines are a beauty to behold both on release and with 5-15 years of bottle age. We tasted through their current releases with owner/winemaker Josh Bergstrom today, and when we got to this one (obviously the best was saved for last), we were taken back as it showed a personality that was so unashamedly its own! After spending an hour with him, calling him a master of his craft seems like the understatement of 2022.
Set on a deep layer of sandy gravel above sandstone, this vineyard is absolutely soaked in sun from all angles. This soil acts as a mirror and reflects an absurd amount of light back up to the grapes. This results in a lot of grapes actually getting burned and discarded. While this sounds like a bad thing, in reality it makes the remaining grapes become more concentrated in all of the compounds that we look for in making fantastic Pinot Noir. The resulting wine is like a kaleidoscopic crescendo of ultra-pure red fruits (mostly cherries), with an almost Rayas like texture - that of concentrated cashmere. What follows is a whirlwind of underprush, Christmassy and Pinot spices..and to be honest, Josh's words sum it up better than I could: The French word for “Silica,” the shiny quartz in sand, Silice has the deepest sandy soils of any of our estate vineyards. This 20-acre vineyard sprawls over four different rolling sandy hillsides in the Chehalem Mountains AVA and most probably is a 60 million-year-old sand dune or beach. Silice sees all-day, unrelenting sun exposure, and strong winds that give the Pinot Noirs spicy powerful notes of gingerbread, cola and sassafras, with a mild savory and pretty floral lift while Silice Chardonnay is textural, bright, and delicate with a citrusy floral bouquet.
This is an unrelenting bottle that epitomizes why we are so hooked on wine - honest winemaking in a truly artisanal spirit, incredibly unique soil and microclimate, and an end result that means you'll probably have a few more sips than you meant to. We think you should grab a few today so that you can experience this beauty of a Pinot yourself as this is a serious wine that WAY overdelivers for its price - Pinot this fantastic at $100 doesn't come around too often!
Tasting Notes: Red cherry in color, this wine is reminiscent of the 2008 Silice. This is a lovely vintage for this perennial spicy, floral, and sweet Pinot Noir. It has an aromatic bouquet boasting of sea breeze salinity, Christmas baking, and potpourri spices of clove, cinnamon, ginger, anise, and pepper. There are floral and herbal notes of roses and wildflowers, as well as a sweet mushroom meatiness and some stem spiciness. The Silice Pinot Noir is always youthfully structured, but the 2018 is suave, seamless, and glides over the palate in a swath of ripe, sweet, and dark fruit expressions. The fine tannins at the finish promise a wonderful future for this wine over the next 5-8 years. Drink Now - 2028. Alcohol: 13.5%