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.

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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 —>

2020 TEXSOM International Wine Awards!

This year in February, TEXSOM awarded 2 of our wines medals in their competition.

We got a Silver Medal for the ‘Antsy Pants’ Reserve Dry Riesling, 2013 (Willamette Valley) and a Bronze Metal for the Love & Squalor Pinot Noir 2017 (Willamette Valley)

TEXSOM is a wine competition with 61 judges, 69 Sommelier Retreat members, 80+ team members, and 2,875 total entries. Unique amongst all other wine competitions, the TEXSOM International Wine Awards holds a Sommelier Retreat behind the scenes. This year a total of 69 participants were in attendance; 45 sommeliers from 16 states and two countries and 24 mentors (Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine and Editors). While the judges and volunteers were hard at work facilitating the judging of over 2,800 wines, the panel of sommeliers tasted select medal-winning wines, received tutelage in writing about these wines from the esteemed editors also in attendance, practiced blind tasting techniques with Master Sommeliers and worked with the Wine Awards production team to understand the competition’s high standards and rigorous processes.

You can learn more about TEXSOM here —>

Wine & Spirits Top 50 Wines in America’s Best Restaurants April 2018

Love & Squalor got a great review in the latest Wine & Spirits Magazine. Here's the review:

Year’s Best Pinot Noirs

Our blind panels tasted 1,479 new-release US pinot noirs over the past 12 months. Our critics rated 213 ass exceptional (90+) and 38 as Best Buys. Joshua Greene reviews California wines…Patrick J. Comiskey reviews Oregon. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com

90 points

Love and Squalor 2015 Eola-Amity Hills Temperance HIll Vineyard Pinot Noir

A wine that leads with dark cherry scents and fairly lavish oak notes, this delivers its flavors in a sleek, wood driven character, the dark plum and black cherry fruit spiced up by cinnamon notes and firm, dry tannins. (50 cases) 

—Patrick J. Comiskey

Wine Enthusiast Reviews are in... 93pts & Editors Choice

93 points
Editors Choice

L&S 2015 Riesling Willamette Valley 

This utterly delicious dry Riesling has just enough roundness to cut through the acidity. Its lush mix of citrus and stone fruit gathers strength and focus as it roars across the palate. It's instantly accessible yet built for enjoyment over the next decade.

VARIETY Riesling
APPELLATION Willamette Valley, Willamette Valley, Oregon, US
WINERY Love & Squalor
ALCOHOL 12%
DATE PUBLISHED 2/1/2018

Review online: http://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/love-squalor-2015-riesling-willamette-valley/

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92 points

L&S 2013 'Antsy Pants' Reserve Riesling

This 2013 is the current release. Its lovely floral highlights distinguish the aroma and carry into the flavors. Sourced from 40-year-old vines from the Brooks and Sunnyside vineyards, it was fermented entirely with native yeasts to almost complete dryness.

DESIGNATION Antsy Pants
VARIETY Riesling
APPELLATION Willamette Valley, Willamette Valley, Oregon, US
WINERY Love & Squalor
ALCOHOL 11%
DATE PUBLISHED 2/1/2018

Review online: http://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/love-squalor-2013-antsy-pants-riesling-willamette-valley/

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92 points

L&S 2015 Sunny Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir

This well-balanced wine pushes cherry fruit front and center, underscored by refreshing minerality. The tannins are polished and firmly set on the finish, with a cinnamon kick that resonates long after the last swallow.

DESIGNATION Sunny Mountain Vineyard
VARIETY Pinot Noir
APPELLATION Willamette Valley, Willamette Valley, Oregon, US
WINERY Love & Squalor
ALCOHOL 14.4%
DATE PUBLISHED 2/1/2018

Review online: http://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/love-squalor-2015-sunny-mountain-vineyard-pinot-noir-willamette-valley/

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92 points

L&S 2015 Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir

This well-known and widely-admired vineyard doesn't disappoint in this wine, delivering lovely cherry fruit touched with a citrusy edge. The concentration builds gracefully, with tasty highlights of chocolate-covered orange peel and roasted coffee.

DESIGNATION Temperance Hill Vineyard
VARIETY Pinot Noir
APPELLATION Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon, US
WINERY Love & Squalor
ALCOHOL 14.2%
DATE PUBLISHED 2/1/2018

Review online: http://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/love-squalor-2015-temperance-hill-vineyard-pinot-noir-eola-amity-hills/

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91 points
Editors Choice

L&S 2015 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

Lovely cherry lollipop flavors introduce this smooth and tasty effort. Its juicy and irresistible sweet fruit is highlighted with sliced orange and lemon peel notes. A streak of coffee runs through the finish, and the wine is substantial enough to cellar for another half decade or longer.

VARIETY Pinot Noir
APPELLATION Willamette Valley, Willamette Valley, Oregon, US
WINERY Love & Squalor
ALCOHOL 13.8%
DATE PUBLISHED 2/1/2018

Review Online: http://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/love-squalor-2015-pinot-noir-willamette-valley/

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91 points

Love & Squalor 2015 Sunnyside Vineyard Riesling  

The first-ever vineyard-designated Riesling from Love & Squalor, this is bone dry and as tart as lemon juice. Its green apple fruit shows excellent concentration. For acid lovers, this will be a revelation. If acid isn't your thing, look to the winery's regular Riesling instead.

DESIGNATION Sunnyside Vineyard
VARIETY Riesling
APPELLATION Willamette Valley, Willamette Valley, Oregon, US
WINERY Love & Squalor
ALCOHOL 13%
DATE PUBLISHED 2/1/2018

Review online: http://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/love-squalor-2015-sunnyside-vineyard-riesling-willamette-valley/

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Reviews by Paul Gregutt, a Contributing Editor for Wine Enthusiast magazine, a founding member of the magazine’s Tasting Panel, and reviews the wines of Oregon and Canada.

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/

90 pts for L&S SINGLE VINEYARD 2014 Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir

Just a single barrel of this designate was bottled—too bad, as it's a tasty wine with bold fruit flavors of cranberry and cherry. Baking spices and a streak of cola come through also, and this should drink nicely into the mid-2020s.

PRICE $52,  Buy Now
DESIGNATION Temperance Hill Vineyard
VARIETY Pinot Noir
APPELLATION Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon, US
WINERY love & squalor
Print a Shelf Talker Label
ALCOHOL 13.5%
BOTTLE SIZE 750 ml
CATEGORY Red
DATE PUBLISHED 4/1/2017

source: http://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/love-squalor-2014-temperance-hill-vineyard-pinot-noir-eola-amity-hills

Interview with the winemaker Matt Berson talking about the single vineyards wines can be seen here

Best 100 wines of 2016 says Wine Enthusiast. Guess who’s #53?!

#53

Love & Squalor 2013 Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley)

93 Points Editors’ Choice

A sensational value, this is a Pinot lover's wine, beginning with the gorgeous color of a deep red/orange sunset. Cherries, chocolate, and a light touch of orange peel elevate the aromatics and inform the well-integrated midpalate. The wine lingers gracefully through an immaculate finish.

You can buy the wine online here (click)

The article can be seen here: http://www.winemag.com/toplists/top-100-wines-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

Great Northwest Wine Blog Reviews

Love & Squalor 2011 Antsy Pants Riesling, Willamette Valley

By Great Northwest Wine on June 27, 2015

Portland Wine Company’s reserve approach to the noble grape of Germany is not your grandmother’s Riesling — unless, by chance, her name is Brunhilda. The greenish hue of the drink comes with heavy vapors of diesel and petrol, joined by gooseberry, lychee nut and Thompson Seedless grapes. Across the palate it takes nerdy, nervy and succulent approach with fresh gooseberry, Granny Smith apple peel and lime pith. A bit of the petrol also trickles into the flavors, backed by a structure that’s a dry as bone and unusually lowin alcohol. The IRF Scale portrays this blend of Brooks Vineyard (66%), planted in 1976, and Cherry Grove Vineyard as “dry.” And the chemistry from this cool vintage reflects that rocket ship ride with the pH at 2.86, titratable acidity of 11.8 grams per liter and lemon/lime residual sugar down around 0.6%.

Rating: Recommended
Production: 54 cases
Alcohol: 9.9%

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Love & Squalor 2011 Antsy Pants Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

By Great Northwest Wine on June 26, 2015

View fullsize

Portland vintner Matt Berson works with Temperance Hill in the Eola-Amity Hills, Winter’s Hill in the Dundee Hills and Saikkonen Vineyard on Ribbon Ridge for this Pommard-leaning Pinot Noir, and the Antsy Pants reference represents the barrel select tier for Love and Squalor. It’s indeed a more reserved style of Pinot Noir with aromas of ripe strawberry, dried Montmorency cherry and dried apricots, backed by cherry wood, earthiness, eucalyptus and anise. On the palate, there’s a delicate approach with Bing cherries and pink raspberries, backed by sweet tannins, moderate acidity, a touch of straw and cherry pie filling. Berson holds back the Antsy Pants bottlings until he believes the time is right, and while this would pair well with grilled salmon, the wine’s structure and moderate ABV bodes well for the future.

Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 75 cases
Alcohol: 12.6%

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Love & Squalor 2013 Riesling, Willamette Valley

By Great Northwest Wine on June 16, 2015

Matt Berson launched this edgy brand in 2007 under his Portland Wine Co., starting with a mere 65 cases. Now, he’s running at a clip of 1,800 cases, and this Riesling serves as a significant portion of his production. The dry-farmed vineyard sources include Brooks, which is poignant because the late Jimi Brooks helped mentor Berson, as well as other 40-year-old plantings such as Cuddihy and Sunnyside. Contributing diversity are Roncali near Eugene and Tunkalilla, the latter a younger site that joins Brooks Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills. Aromas of Ambrosia Salad, dried apricot, alyssum and dusty Granny Smith apple also pick up a pinch of spearmint. On the palate, there’s a marvelously dry and Grüner-like entry of Bosc pear, gooseberry, river rock and a touch of raw honey. Citrusy acidity more than balances the residual sugar of 1.3%, which reveals itself as a lick of Jolly Rancher Green Apple candy in the finish. Riesling geeks will appreciate the chemistry numbers of 9.7 TA, 2.92 pH and 10.6% ABV, and it slots in at “medium dry” on the International Riesling Foundation taste profile.

Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 440 cases
Alcohol: 10.6%

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About Great Northwest Wine

Articles authored by Great Northwest Wine are co-authored by Eric Degerman and Andy Perdue. In most cases, these are wine reviews that are judged blind by the Great Northwest Wine tasting panel.

Wine Enthusiast Reviews Are In!

“Fine winemaking is on display here...”

— Paul Gregutt Wine Enthusiast June 2015

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.

link to them here

Thanks Mr. Gregutt

Wine Is Serious Business 198

Wine Is Serious Business # 198: Blind 2011 Oregon Pinot Noir Around $20/$30

Published on Sep 16, 2013

Dan picked out a bottle he had enjoyed at tastings over the summer, and Chas picked out two that he hadn't tried yet but wanted to. We put them into bags for a single blind tasting and are happy to say that we enjoyed all 3! They're all reliable local producers that are always worth checking in on. We get a little bit of A.V.A. education from the experience as well. In the show, we taste the following 2011 Crowley Laurel Hood Pinot Noir, the 2011 Love and Squalor Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, and the 2011 Matello Durant Vineyard Pinot Noir. What is the best blind tasting you've been to?