I am happy to say that the new Love & Squalor 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir has met with a very warm reception. It is already available at a number of fine Portland restaurants (see previous post) and shops. Look for it by-the-glass at Laurelhurst Market (sorry Patty). I will get a formal mail-order release together after IPNC weekend, but let it be known that you can order at will. Pricing is the same as last year. If you want to know what some think about it, read the review below. Thanks to Shannon Fitzpatrick for making me blush with this piece she wrote for the Ponzi Wine Bar site:
Matt Berson stopped by the wine bar yesterday to pour his new 2009 Pinot Noir for us. Let me say I was impressed. I have been a fan of Matt’s wines since the beginning and each year his Pinot and Riesling are fantastic but I must say that this 2009 bottling is amongst my fav’s to date.
The 2009 vintage was a mighty warm one here in the beautiful Willamette Valley and I have come to anticipate richer style wines from those being offered to me. What a pleasant realization then, when Matt’s Pinot from this hot vintage showed me the same grace and elegance I have come to expect from his wines. The color and body of the wine were my first hint- light but not by any means weak. The nose follows with a faint damp earth note, pleasant fruit and just a hint of orange oil. On the palate the wine is balanced and smooth. It lays down a nice core of sweet dark-toned fruit with a lovely underpinning of acid that lifts it and provides a nice lingering finish. The wine comes from four vineyards in the Willamette Valley: Momtazi, Temperance Hill, Winter’s Hill and Johan. All four of the sites are farmed either organically or biodynamically and are a nice blend of old and young vines.
Matt is fairly hands-off in the cellar using only native yeasts and some “old skool funk music” to coax his ferments along. When the wine is finished he gently racks it clean but never fines or filters. No wonder the wine is so expressive! The best, most amazing part? While he makes less than 300 cases he sells this rare commodity at a steal of a price- just $24. Grab yours now or you’ll miss out!