What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD)

If there is one Oregon pinot noir that has been imprinted in my memory, it is a bottle of Broadley Vineyards wine. It was a turning point for me, in that it was the first Oregon pinot noir that captivated me like no other wine before it.

In May of 2006, we were celebrating the birthday of my father-in-law, Bob, by dining al fresco on a beautiful spring evening in Seattle. We enjoyed a grilled salmon dinner with a bottle of 2004 Claudia's Choice pinot noir. I will never forget that wine nor the family and food that went with it.

So it was with some amazement that I was visiting the Broadley Vineyards web site almost two years to the date and saw the following statement on their homepage:

We strive to make wines that make you stop and think. "Wine that will sing and dance for you."

Boy, did the '04 Claudia's Choice make me stop and think as it sang and danced into my nose and across my palate.

I wish the same could be said for the Broadley Vineyards 2005 Bergstrom Pinot Noir (13.5%). On the nose, there were hints of dried cherry, but matched by notes of frozen, concentrated strawberries. On the palate, I picked up some mint or menthol flavors. Overall, it was a bit astringent in the finish, due to some big tannins.

I had hoped it would improve with food, but to no avail. And for the life of me I can't recall what we ate. Just goes to show how a less than impressive wine serves to erase the memory of the moment. I'm glad for for my scribbled tasting notes. Too bad Broadley Vineyards doesn't offer any information on this pinot noir (only current releases), as I would have liked to understand more about it.

This wine, comprised of fruit from the acclaimed Bergstrom Family vineyard in Newberg, is a bit of a departure for Broadley Vineyards, as they have only recently started producing wines from other estate's fruit. Just last week, I had the opportunity to try a bottle of Bergstrom Winery 2005 Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir - same vintage and fruit as in the Broadley but a much more favorable outcome.

In the process of researching both wines, I came across another Seattle wine blogger, The Wine Commentator, who reviewed each of these wines back in January 2007. Seems like we had similar experiences with the Bergstrom bottling, in terms of it being big and tannic. But his impressions of the Broadley were more favorable.

Even still, I am grateful for having tried the Broadley 2005 Bergstrom Pinot Noir, for it brought me closer to understanding the who, what and where of the Broadley and Bergstrom vineyards/wineries. And it introduced me to a fellow Seattle wine blogger, who offers broad coverage of Oregon and Washington wines. The Wine Commentator provides yet another useful resource for learning more about and connecting to Pacific Northwest wine (check out their list of pinot noir recommendations).

We live in an incredible time, don't we? We can celebrate a bottle at our table and then connect to others on the Web. All with wine being the catalyst that brings us together, offline or online. An amazing age indeed.