Paul Greguett's Summer Wine Picks

We love a shout out! Paul Gregutt's Northwest Wine Guide about his summer wine picks has some great scores for Love & Squalor. Here’s what he has to say…

High Value, High Flavor Summer Wines

Retailers are overrun with cheap wines. Value wines that are inexpensive are much harder to find.
PAUL GREGUTT JUN 30, 2023

Love & Squalor/Garageland

Garageland 2022 Rosé of Pinot Noir – Big flavors of cherry candy, wet stone and a super fresh mouthfeel make this a summer slam dunk for sipping on your porch. The wine does indeed, as winemaker Matt Berson writes, "dance on the palate". Good texture and impressive length, along with that crisply elegant mouthfeel, make this one of the summer's best. 300 cases; 13.5%; $16 (Willamette Valley) 92/100

Garageland 2021 Pinot Noir – Almost two thirds of this was sourced from Ribbon Ridge vineyards, another 20% from the nearby Laurelwood AVA. That's a high standard for such an inexpensive wine. It's a bit stiff and earthy when first opened, so give it some breathing time. The aromatics are spot on, the flavors a mix of brambly berries and savory side notes. This is a wine that will deliver a lot of depth and complexity if given the chance. 500 cases; 13.8%; $20 (Willamette Valley) 91/100

Love & Squalor 2022 'A Frayed Knot' Skin Contact Gewürztraminer – Ripe Gewürztraminer grapes turn a pretty blush color, and when given skin contact prior to pressing some of that comes through. Here it's a light apricot hue, wonderfully aromatic with the powdery floral scents for which the grape is known. Fermenting in neutral barrels has broadened the flavors, added depth and texture, and along the way inspired the wine to continue through a spontaneous secondary (malolactic) ferment. This is inspired, delicious, and unique. 100 cases; 12.5%; $25 (Willamette Valley) 92/100

Love & Squalor 2022 'Walks on Gilded Splinters' Skin Contact Pinot Gris – Grapes from Dion Vineyard are on display here in a rosé style wine with a deep sunset hue. Dr. John aficionados will recognize the reference to the classic New Orleans swamp rock. Lovely texture and mouthfeel, with plenty of crisp apple and citrus fruit at the core. 100 cases; 13%; $25 (Willamette Valley) 91/100

Love & Squalor 2022 Pinot Gris – The winery has had the good fortune in 2022 to contract Dion vineyard grapes for both of its Pinot Gris. This is excellent fruit – ripe, fresh, crisp, minerally and loaded with citrus and stone flesh and skin flavors. The flavors dive down and down through the palate, clean and pure, seeming to gather focus and intensity as the wine gracefully resolves. 250 cases; 12.5%; $20 (Willamette Valley) 93/200

Love & Squalor 2022 Sauvignon Blanc – Winemaker Matt Berson credits "the Sauvignon Blanc cartel – Patty Green, Jay Somers and Andrew Rich – for helping to define this variety in Oregon (I concur) and inspiring him to continue on with it. I've long believed that this should be right up there with Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling as front and center white wine grapes in the Willamette Valley. This is strikingly pure, fresh and varietal, with a hint of grassiness but none of the more extreme flavors that can turn people away. Lime, pineapple, grapefruit and lemon are all in a tangle, with defining acids all the way through the finish.185 cases; 13%; $20 (Willamette Valley) 92/200

The Review on Paul Gregutt's Northwest Wine Guide

PRINCE OF PINOT latest reviews

The Prince of Pinot’s latest reviews

reviews 2/20/2022

2016 Love & Squalor Sunny Mountain Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

13.5% alc., 25 cases, $54. Released fall 2021. 100% whole cluster. Clones are an interesting co-fermented mix of Pommard, faux 828, and 23 (Mariafeld). · Moderate garnet color in the glass. The aromas arrive over time in the glass and include barrel cave, deep red cranberry, spice and roasted nuts. Pleasurable flavors of red berry and cherry with a whisper of oak that tail off at the finish. Fine-grain tannins and a refined mouthfeel make for easy drinking. Score: 92

2016 Love & Squalor Temperance Hill Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir

13.5% alc., 50 cases, $54. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. Fragrant aromas of cherry, bramble, rose and oak spice. Plush on the palate, with resonant dark cherry and raspberry fruit flavors infused with racy energy and backed by tame tannins. Excellent harmony with a lengthy finish. Atypical for this vineyard in that the fruits trend more to redder types, there is less underlying earthiness and the overall impression is finesse rather than power. Score: 92

2017 Love & Squalor Temperance Hill Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir

13.3% alc., 50 cases, $54. Released fall 2021. Clones are 113, 114, 667 and Pommard. · Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Sensational nose that elevates over time in the glass to offer soaring aromas of dark cherry, potpourri, tilled earth and spice. Light to mid-weight in style and rather elegant in character, with a delicious array of dark red and purple fruits infused with bright acidity and framed by delicate tannins. The finish is long like a three hour movie you don’t want to end.. This is an unusual interpretation of this vineyard that known is more for its rich, dark fruit, intense color and bold tannins. Score: 94

2016 Love & Squalor Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

13.5% alc., 75 cases, $48. Released fall 2021. A selection of the winemaker’s three favorite barrels in the cellar. A blend of grapes from Vista Hills Vineyard in the Dundee Hills and Temperance Hill Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills (50% each). · Moderately light garnet color in the glass. The nose is dominated by oak-driven aromas of mocha java and root beer shadowing red cherry scent. Light to mid-weight in concentration displaying juicy red cherry fruit with a gentle cloak of oak. Soft tannins, a silken texture and a modest finish. Score: 90

2017 Love & Squalor Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

13.5% alc., 50 cases, $48. Release spring 2022. A selection of the winemaker’s four favorite barrels in the cellar. Sourced from Vista Hills Vineyard (667 and 777), Temperance Hill Vineyard (667, 113, 114 and Pommard) and Sunnyside Vineyard (Gamay and Wädenswil). · Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Nicely perfumed with aromas of Bing cherry, cola and mocha. A harmonious wine with a good acid underbelly and modest tannins. The mid-weight, brambly dark red cherry and black raspberry fruits are satisfying. Score: 92

A Mention in a Delectable Article

Old World vs. New World Pinot

by Ellen Clifford April 2020 (abridged version)

Pinot Noir .
Oh yes.
The esteemed.
The renowned.
The f*cking DRC. I had it once.
Also the grape that got a major glow up from Sideways and unwittingly bullied California Merlot into obscurity sure as Macavity clawed Grizabella into the gutter.
Oh wait Cats metaphors—too soon or too real? Also I loved Cats. Stage and movie versions. Also real life cats. My lord I need a kitty.
Wait. Wine. Pinot Noir. Meow.
If you are quarantining, I suggest stocking up and playing along as this article is gonna be a two-parter.
This article comes with the disclaimer that for every country and region, heck, for individual vineyards of Pinot I could write a whole tome and not be done. Pinot is ever so nuanced. It’s also worth mentioning that in addition to terroir, the clone of Pinot can make quite a difference. That could be another friggin’ book—did you realize that Pinot Gris/Grigio and Pinot Blanc are just clones of Pinot Noir? But let’s get the basics covered before we worry about dirt and clones. And drones. They also worry me but not today, Satan.
Pinot Noir’s origins remain mysterious, as Jancis Robinson’s “Wine Grapes” points to many “dubious” origin stories. So we won’t dwell on that. Just know that “Pinot” is considered one of the three main grapes from whence came pretty much everything we drink now. The other two “founder” grapes are savagnin (also called traminer) and gouais blanc. The reason you mostly find Pinot Noir grown in cooler climates is that it ripens early, so it needs cool air to prolong the ripening process long enough for the grape to develop some complexity.
Pinot Noir’s biggest tasting note to me—beyond gentler tannins—is cherries. Of all types. Red, black, bing, and so on, Pinot Noir almost always has something cherry about it. It partners well with oak, so you often will find telltale vanilla and baking spice. All of this adds up to it sometimes tasting like one of humanities biggest gifts to our taste buds: Cherry-Vanilla Coke. But give it some time and Pinot Noir gets enchanting herbs and—oooh baby! Earth. Truffles! But also dried flowers and suddenly (in your mind) you are dancing naked and barefoot on a dewy lawn drinking boozy Cherry-Vanilla Coke.
Don’t wine-kink shame me. We all have our thing.
I love this grape, fickle as it can be. In every region I tasted there were bland lightweights and/or cooked fake jammy examples. Pinot is at every level enjoyable, but unlike fries, which excel in the cheap versions, Pinot does not necessarily. That being said, I tried in these columns to find at least a couple more budget friendly ones.
Here’s one more thing. Goodness, Pinot Noir needs a lot of disclaimers it seems. I felt it sacrilege to even try to give Burgundy a run for its money.
Burgundy is one of the most beautiful things on earth. And don’t you ever forget it. So this week, off to the New World. Then we will explore Burgundy. Not only am I beginning with the New World but I’m starting in the southern hemisphere. Keeping it fresh in #quarantine2020.

—————————————

OREGON

Ah, Oregon, the Pinot Noir that can confound the blind taster for its tendency toward being Old World-ly. I had the good fortune to attend a dinner in honor of the (now canceled because Corona) Willamette Valley Wine Pinot Noir Auction. But don’t you babies worry, I tasted wines I selected of my own accord too, to curate my recommendations. Even just within the Willamette Valley there is a range of subregions with varied soils making a range of Pinot expressions. When I can travel again, it is at the top of my wine travel wishlist. I have to give honorable mentions here too, to Gothic and Eyrie —love them. Always will, but I wanted to give some new-to-me guys some love.

2017 Portland Wine Company “Love and Squalor” Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
How I do love this! Not just for its mischievous drying laundry label, but…well the first time I tried it was when my boyfriend blinded me on it. By which I mean he poured it, and I tried to deduce what it was. I have a lot of kinks but losing my vision isn’t one of them. I found it indelibly Pinot Noir but was it Old World? New? I was confounded. Either which way it is damned delightful and a comparative bargain. Rich red fruits and pencil box. No, not pencil lead and cigar box but pencil box—that medley of pencils, crayons, erasers and cedar AND maybe a rebel student has a cigarette hidden in there. Would that be me? Not until 8th grade whoops. It is an excellent Pinot.

READ the whole article here —>

Wonderful review of 2015 Pinot Noir from Great Wines Northwest

Love & Squalor 2015 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
By Great Northwest Wine on January 6, 2018

Portland vintner Matt Berson recently entered his second decade of Love & Squalor, and he named his duo-pronged passion project of Pinot Noir and Riesling as a tribute to iconic author J.D. Salinger. His flagship wine is this Pinot Noir, a melange of eight clones and six vineyards, primarily Sunny Mountain, Temperance Hill, Cherry Grove and Medici that represents about a third of his entire production. His choice of an 18-month program in mature French oak shows up merely as an enticing dusting of cocoa powder that’s behind the purple fruit tones of plum and blueberry. Fine-grained tannins are focused on the midpalate of this otherwise juicy approach.

Rating: Outstanding!

Production: 1,100 cases

Alcohol: 13.8%

http://www.greatnorthwestwine.com/2018/01/06/love-squalor-2015-pinot-noir-willamette-valley-28/

WHAT?! A Rosé of Gewürztraminer? Here's a nice review...

Great Northwest Wines review of Love & Squalor 2015 A Frayed Knot Rosé of Gewürztraminer, Willamette Valley

One of the leaders of Portland’s urban wine scene, Matt Berson, finally has answered the pleas of his peeps and given them a rosé — and he chose 30-year-old Gewürztraminer from prized Sunnyside Vineyard near Oregon’s state capital. Foot-pressed fruit grown by Lucille Wisniewski and Tom Owens produces an intriguing pink that could at first look be mistaken for a Pinot Gris rosé where it not for the tropical nose of lychee, rosewater and kiwi with peach pie and honey. That exotic blend of fruit makes it way to the palate with a dry approach, picking up hints of strawberry and peach skin with a lingering finish that blends pink grapefruit with tangerine. That he tagged this #orangeisthenewrosé bodes well for a 2016 version.

Rating: Excellent
Production: 110 cases
Alcohol: 13%

By Great Northwest Wine on October 1, 201 

Great Northwest Wines Review Says We Are "Outstanding"

Great Northwest Wines latest review on our Love & Squalor 2012 Ansty Pants Riesling, Willamette Valley

You can see it here: http://www.greatnorthwestwine.com/2016/10/18/love-squalor-2012-antsy-pants-riesling-willamette-valley-28/

The Portland Wine Company’s reserve-style dry Riesling continues to focus on four-decade-old Brooks Vineyard in the cooler Eola-Amity Hills, but this vintage debuts an inclusion from Sunnyside Vineyard, an even older site planted in 1971. Matt Berson’s expression from the 2012 vintage continues with the residual sugar at (0.6%), and here there’s a great presentation of acidity. Rich aromas of baked pear with cinnamon, peach pie, apricot glacéed and jasmine lead to luscious flavors of ripe white peach and dried pineapple. It’s fruity, yet capped with a touch of slate for a food-friendly finish.

Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 59 cases
Alcohol: 11%

By Great Northwest Wine on October 18, 2016  

Here's what Great Northwest Wines says...

Great Northwest Wines gave our Love & Squalor 2013 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley a wonderful review.

You can see it here: http://www.greatnorthwestwine.com/2016/09/08/love-squalor-2013-pinot-noir-willamette-valley-28/

"This vintage marks the 10th anniversary of Matt Berson’s introduction to winemaking, and his flagship wine from this rain-interrupted season illustrates a blend of nearly equal contributions from eight vineyards – led by Dundee Hills sites Winter’s Hill and Vista Hills. The choice of essentially all neutral French oak at his McMinnville winery allows for a Pinot Noir to reveal itself as a cherry bomb with secondary aromas of strawberry, plum juice and fresh fig with a pinch of herbs and shaving of dark chocolate. As a drink, it’s eminently approachable with Bing cherry and raspberry flavors that offer ripeness rather than sweetness. That feeds into a smooth and round structure capped by orange zest, Earl Grey tea and cocoa."
Rating: Excellent
Production: 1,100 cases
Alcohol: 12.9% 

By Great Northwest Wine on September 8, 2016  

Wine Enthusiast Reviews are in again – 93 points!

Fine winemaking is on display here...

— Paul Gregutt Wine Enthusiast June 2016

love & squalor WV Riesling 2013 - 93 Points - Editor's Choice
This packs tremendous flavor into a low-alcohol wine with moderate residual sugar. Peach pit and juice, green apple and citrusy acids start it off. The flavors keep going through a long, complex finish, adding subtle notes of herb and cut grass.

love & squalor Antsy Pants Riesling 2011 - 92 Points
Ignore the silly name and focus on the important particulars—old vine (planted 1976), wild yeast, biodynamic farming. Absolutely bone-dry yet bursting with complex minerality, citrus rind, and penetrating acidity, it has phenolics that give length, breadth and detail.

love & squalor WV Pinot Noir 2012 - 91 Points - Editor's Choice
Fine winemaking is on display here, as the blend includes grapes from six far-flung vineyards. It’s artfully melded, with brambly berries, Bing cherries, cola, cocoa and red licorice notes. Seamless and buttressed with natural acids, it’s not at all reliant on barrel flavors, having seen just 6% once-filled oak, with the rest neutral.

love & squalor Antsy Pants Pinot Noir 2011 - 91 Points
The proprietary name indicates that this is the winemaker’s reserve cuvée, a three-barrel selection mixing equal proportions of grapes from the Eola Hills, Dundee Hills and Ribbon Ridge AVAs. It’s austere, tight and yet authoritative, showing compact wild berry fruit, Mediterranean herbs and a slight saltiness. It’s best to cellar it until 2020, or give it a good long decant.

Thanks Mr. Gregut 

source: http://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/love-squalor-2013-pinot-noir-willamette-valley

Vinography Review

08.04.2014

Coastal Diamonds: The Rieslings of Oregon

About every two years, I get an invite to attend the International Pinot Noir Celebration in Oregon's Willamette Valley. The event continues to be one of the best run and highest quality wine events in the country, with a fantastic combination of excellent wine and equally fantastic food. More about Pinot Noir in a day or two. In addition to attending one of the best wine parties around, IPNC also gives me (and a number of other wine writers) the excuse to do something slightly less expected: taste a lot of Oregon Riesling. Each year following IPNC, the Oregon Riesling Alliance holds a tasting of a recent vintage.  Most people still have no idea that Oregon even grows Riesling, yet amidst the crowded hills of Pinot Noir, there lie an increasing number of Riesling vineyards. So many, in fact that continuing to describe these growers as experimental is as inaccurate as it is unfair.

Riesling has actually been planted in Oregon since the very first days of Oregon viticulture. Pioneering vintner Richard Sommer, whose 1960's Hillcrest Vineyards winery was one of the state's earliest forays into wine, included Riesling as part of his plantings. By 1980 Riesling actually accounted for 25% of the state's plantings. But then Pinot Noir came along and as often happens when a region discovers a gold mine, Riesling all but disappeared.

Today Oregon has close to 800 acres of Riesling, spread across the Umpqua Valley, the Rogue Valley, the Colombia River Valley, and of course, the Willamette Valley. From the perspective of broad climate measures, Oregon fits nicely in the known range for growing Riesling, which likes a cooler climate, known as Region 1 to climate scientists. Other winegrowing areas in Region 1 include Burgundy and Germany's Rhine region.

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 9
2011 Love & Squalor "Antsy Pants" Riesling $28
Pale gold in color, this wine smells of mandarin oranges, pink grapefruit, and a hint of candle wax. In the mouth, juicy mandarin zest, pink grapefruit flesh, and lemon pith are beautifully balanced and fresh, with bright, mouthwatering acidity. Very pretty. 54 cases produced.

WINES WITH A SCORE BETWEEN 8.5 AND 9
2012 Love & Squalor Riesling, Willamette Valley $18
Palest greenish gold in color, this wine has a very distinctive nose of ripe pear and ripe papaya aromas. In the mouth, bright tropical fruits, including papaya, mix with pink grapefruit and delicate acidity that has a nice balance to it. Quite distinctive and interesting. Dry. 440 cases produced.

http://www.vinography.com/archives/2014/08/coastal_diamonds_the_rieslings.html