Description

Bergström Wines, Pinot Noir Silice Chehalem Mountains 2021

93pts – Wine Advocate

93pts – Vinous

Silice: A Bergström Wines Estate
Planted 2001     *     Chehalem Mountains AVA     *     Elevation: 400ft

The French word for “Silica,” the shiny quartz in sand, Silice has the deepest sandy soils of any of our estate vineyards. This 18-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.

Farming

• Biodynamic since inception
• Soils: Deep, Dupee class marine sedimentary sands. 12-15 feet of 85% sand on sandstone and siltstone
• Exposures: Rolling hills primarily facing South and West at 470 feet of elevation
• Vines: 20 years old
• Clonal Selections: 13 clonal blocks of Pinot Noir Including Pommard, Wadenwil, and Dijon 777, 667, & 115

Winemaking

• 100% whole-cluster fermentation in open-top, stainless steel fermentation tanks. Pumpovers only. Light pigeage.
• Native fermentation where possible. Inoculation with selected native Burgundian strains of yeast where needed.
• 10-15% new 228L French oak Barriques
• 100% malolactic and alcoholic fermentation (no residual sugars or malic acids)
• 10-month élevage in barrel
• No fining. Polishing filtration if needed.

Josh Bergström’s Notes

Delicate red in color. The bouquet offers floral notes of lavender, magnolias, and freshly ground white pepper balanced with bright fruits. On the palate, freshly picked red huckleberries provide tart and lasting succulence. The sandy soils of the Chehalem
Mountains offer salinity and minerality on the finish that is complemented with red pomegranate and rhubarb. Extremely textural. Continues to evolve in the glass.

Technical Details

• Alcohol: 13%
• Varietals: 100% Pinot Noir
• Harvest Dates: September 1-10, 2021