Josh Bergstrom is a first generation winemaker. After working for some of the well known wineries, Josh moved to France to pursue a formal education in viticulture and enology. When he returned (with a wife), he and his family started Bergstrom winery, Currently he makes four Pinot Noirs and a Pinot Gris - although we also saw a bottling of Walla Walla Syrah in his office...

His 2002 Pinot Noirs have recently garnered high scores from the Wine Spectator and having tasted his wines, I believe that he will become (or is already) one of Oregon's top winemakers. He still buys much of his grapes but also has a biodynamic vineyard on the winery property that his family manages.


[b]02 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir[/b] This is their "money-losing, entry level" red wine that retails for $20USD. A pleasant wine of medium body and tannin. Notes of strawberry, cherry, leather and loam.

[b]02 Cumberland vineyard Pinot Noir[/b] The next level up retails for $32USD and is made up primarily of grapes from the Hyland vineyard although grapes come from three vineyards in total. Though a bit closed, this is a beautiful wine. Firm tannins on a medium body and no discernible oak. Notes are completely unintegrated but you can just tell that it will develop in to an elegant wine. There was just a hint of green in the mid palate. I asked Josh about his use of oak and he noted that for financial reasons no new oak had been used for this wine. I wondered if the touch of green may have come from bad barrels. (WS92)

[b]02 Bergstrom vineyard Pinot Noir[/b] $60USD This wine comes from the family's vineyard and is primarily a Dijon clone. Also very tight but expressing dark fruit, perfume and black pepper. Considerable grape tannins - apparently, he plunges a few times a day... I bought this one and look forward to holding on to it for a few years. (WS93)

[b]02 Arcus vineyard Pinot Noir[/b] $85USD From Archery Summit's vineyard. A very big, powerful RP style of wine. Sweet but not jammy. Incredibly long finish. Cropped at 3/4 ton/acre Fantastic - but too big for me. (WS94)

[b]03 Shae vineyard barrel sample[/b] Enormous grape tannins and 16% alcohol plus. If you listen to his ripening philosophy, We're trying to push the ripening process to the limit, letting the fruit hang as long as possible on the vines to gain in flavors and balance, these are almost "late harvest" wines. Leesy nose. Sweet black fruit on the palate.

[b] 03 De Lancellotti vineyard barrel sample[/b] The other family vineyard. The resulting wine is if possible even bigger than the above but yet more elegant. Given that the vines are so young, this will be a vineyard to watch for in the future.

[b]03 Bergstrom vineyard barrel sample[/b] This wine was fermented whole cluster as an experiment for his wine club. Although it is not the style of wine that Josh prefers to make, i thought it was the best of the 03 samples. I WANT!

[b]03 Bergstrom vineyard barrel sample[/b] Same grapes as above made by his usual destemed fermentation. Incredibly different than the above. Less elegant. more Parker. Powerful liqueur notes.

[b] 03 Arcus vineyard barrel sample[/b] This will be the last vintage from this vineyard for Bergstrom. The wine is E-Freekin-Normous. Gum pasting, tooth chipping, mind altering grape tannins. Impossible to critique.

Josh is a cool guy, his stuff is REAL big.. While I prefer a more refined Pinot I like Josh's creativity in the cellar. He likes to play with things, throws Syrah lees in his Pinot barrels, stuff like that.. The bergstrom vineyard is a freaking work of art... It's a great site thats farmed as good or better than anything else in Oregon IMO. That vineyard is going to be amazing when it gets more age on it.