American Wine on America Day - Ultramarine & Bergstrom

Dinner at my parents for July 4th. I brought over a 2016 Ultramarine Blanc de Blanc and my Dad popped a 2014 Bergstrom Bergstrom Vineyard pinot noir to go with smoked whole chickens simply seasoned with salt and pepper. Cheers to Thomas Jefferson for our Declaration of Independence, who would have undoubtedly preferred we drink Haut Brion. Alas, us provincial bumpkins have none.

2016 Ultramarine Blanc de Blanc Heintz Light gold color, nose of yeast roll, apple, lemon curd, limestone, candied pineapple. Palate suggests this is too young and needs some time to settle down. Hint of baking spice pairs with stone and citrus fruit and bread. Medium high acidity and decent mousse. Wife really liked it. I thought it was a wine with nice aging potential and was enjoyable, but not as well knit together as I’d hoped. A step down in quality from the 2015 for me, and probably not worth the tariff. Let me rephrase that. This wine this vintage is not worth the tariff. Still a good wine, though, and wonderfully enjoyable sitting with my parents and wife as my kids played in the pool while we waited for the chickens to finish. 91-92 with, I expect, a brighter future.

2014 Bergstrom Bergstrom Vineyard Pinot Noir I think this is almost always a fun wine in a full-bodied style for Oregon (13.7%). The black cherry fruit aromatics are so nice and meld with tea, spice, and a slight sous bois meaty/earthy note. Hint of violets or that aromatic of a really ripe raspberry. Lovely and long with good structure. I was getting just a hint of smoke but, for full disclosure, I couldn’t tell if it was from the smoked chicken on my plate. Lovely wine. 93-94.

2013 Bergstrom Silice Vineyard Pinot Noir This, by color alone, appears to be a lighter vintage and it is. 2013 was fairly lean in Oregon and even this warmer site produced a leaner profile wine. 13.3% alcohol. Nice red berry and bright cherry aromatics, hint of orange peel and a floral lifted note, with some back end spice. Lighter in profile than the Bergstrom vineyard, but well structured and with bright acidity. This is a nice wine too, but lacks a little bit of the depth of the 2014. 92 ish.

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