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
Interview with the winemaker Matt Berson talking about the single vineyards wines can be seen here
WINE IS SERIOUS BUSINESS #334 New L&S Single Vineyard Wines
click on the photo to watch the video
Episode 334: New Love & Squalor Single Vineyard Wines Pinot Noir, Riesling, and a Field Blend
Published on March 21, 2017
Matt Berson of Love & Squalor wines reached out to us to do a show about some new wines he made, and we’re happy that we were able to find a time to make it happen. He’s loved blending every wine he’s released in the past, but with these wines, he was inspired to bottle a tiny amount of single vineyard wines. There are only 25 cases of these single vineyard wines, and we’re thrilled to have their release coincide with this show. Matt has agreed to offer a 15% discount code to folks who watch the show, and you can get the discount code near the end of the episode. We taste the 2014 Sunnyside Vineyard Riesling, the 2014 Wings of Desire, the 2014 Temperance Hill Pinot Noir, and the 2014 Sunny Mountain Pinot Noir. We hope you get a chance to order a few of these before they disappear!
http://www.wineisseriousbusiness.com/?p=950
Wine Enthusiast gave Love & Squalor 2014 Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir wine 90pts read more here
The wines are now for sale here until we run out!
90 pts in Vinous Review of Oregon Wines
Vinous Review
Josh Raynolds, of Vinous (WIne Reviews and Ratings) gave the 2013 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 90 points in his roundup of Oregon Wine.
We only have a few cases left of our top rated wine and are only selling direct from our site.
buy it 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/
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
Portland Monthly Magazine's top 50 wines
Guess who is in the top 50 wines chosen by Portland Monthly Magazine—Check out #33!
hint: Love & Squalor Riesling
http://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2016/9/13/oregon-s-50-best-wines
33. Love & Squalor
2013 Riesling.
Willamette Valley, $20
Grapefruit zest and crabapple. Mouth-watering acidity that makes your mouth pop. Earthy. Textural and aggressive. Pair with: choucroute garnie
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
Eugene Weekly reviewed us recently
LANCE SPARKS from the Eugene Weekly recently had nice things to say about our Love & Squalor 2015 Rosé of Gewurztraminer.
"...I was poking in the rosies at Sundance Wines, spotted this label, Love and Squalor picture of a string of ladies’ slips on a clothesline, thought, ‘Well, that’s me,’ grabbed up the bottle, ‘n, wow! Love and Squalor 2015 Rosé of Gewurztraminer ($17.50), very pale, almost transparent but tinted — how? I bought it — too weird not to try it ’n couldn’t get the name outta my head, took it home, yanked the cork, sipped, went online, found the Love and Squalor homepage, called, spoke directly with Matt Berson, owner-winemaker, asked him how he got any color outta green grapes. ‘It was tricky,’ he admitted. 'Gewurztraminer, when it’s ripe, has a rosey color.’ So he waited for ripeness, de-stemmed, crushed, cold-soaked the grapes for 14 days, fermented in old barrels, got some color and lots of flavor. No sugar added, bone-dry. ‘I’m pretty happy with it,’ he said. Easy to see why: got some grapefruit, flowers, acute balance, ready for food. Berson suggested pairing with paella, saying the wine brings out the saffron in the dish. Don’t know yet, but it’s sure special, even unique.”
Wine & Spirits Riesling Resurgent Article features winemaker Matt Berson
From Wine & Spirits Magazine August 2016
Riesling Resurgent
by David Schildknecht
pg 47. "...That Seestedt’s Sunnyside success isn’t some winemaking tour de force is demonstrated not only by his familiar claim to have done as little “making” as possible, but also by the equally vibrant and infectiously juicy 2014 Sunnyside Riesling crafted by Seestedt protégé and former restaurant manager Matt Berson under his Love & Squalor label. Berson, who also works adeptly with the fruit of Richard Cuddihy’s 1971 planting, ferments and raises multiple tiny lots according to differing protocols, one possible explanation for the satisfying complexity of his results. Another intriguing piece of the Sunnyside puzzle—assuming you’re puzzled that riesling this good comes from a place of which few riesling-lovers have heard—is that the vines are trained with so-called Pendelbogen arches, a method that promotes sap distribution and efficient picking, as well as depresses must weights, which might nowadays be advantageous."
The article can be downloaded here
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%
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%
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%
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...”
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
PinotFile Review
Matt Berson, the owner and winemaker of Love & Squalor began work in the Oregon wine industry in 2003 at Patricia Green Cellars. He gained additional experience in the cellars of Brooks Wines, J. Christopher, Escarpment, NZ, and Erni Loosen (Dr. Loosen). He has been the assistant winemaker for Ransom Wines and Brooks Wines. Currently, Matt makes his wines in a shared winery in McMinnville, while the home of Love & Squalor is The Portland Wine Company in Portland, Oregon.
Reviewed Wines
2012 Love & Squalor Antsy Pants Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
13.6% alc., pH 3.65, 150 cases, $N/A. Areserve wine produced from selected barrels. Sourced from Saikkonen Vineyard in Ribbon Ridge (32%, clone 667), Cherry Grove Vineyard in Yamhill-Carlton (17%, clone 777), Cuddihy Vineyard in Yamhill-Carlton (17%, unknown clones), Winter’s Hill Vineyard in Dundee Hills (17%, Pommard clone), and Methven Vineyard in Eola-Amity Hills (17%, clone 115). 27% whole cluster, cold soaked for 7 to 8 days. Small-lot fermentations not inoculated and punched down gently by hand or foot. Aged in 33% twoyear- old and 67% neutral French oak barrels for 18 months before bottling on May 22, 2014. · Moderately light reddish purple color in the glass. Nicely perfumed with aromas of black cherry, black raspberry and flower garden. The perfectly ripened fruit makes a statement on the palate and holds on to a lasting, satisfying finish. The wine has shoulders but is still refined. A hint of spice from the whole cluster adds interest, the oak is beautifully integrated, and the overall impression is one of sheer beauty. Should be fine in the cellar long term. Score: 92. Reviewed March 16, 2015 ARTICLE »
2012 Love & Squalor Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
13.6% alc., pH 3.61, TA 0.61, 900 cases, $24. A multi-vineyard and multi-appellation blend. Pommard, 777 and 667 clones. Grapes were mostly de-stemmed (10% whole cluster) and cold soaked for 7 to 8 days. Small-lot fermentations were not inoculated and punched down gently by hand or foot. Aged in mostly neutral French oak barrels for 18 months before bottling on May 22, 2014. · Moderately light reddish purple color in the glass. Tres Pinot, with aromas of black cherry, pomegranate, rose petal and herbs, and the mid weight flavor of black cherry. This wine reflects the ripeness of the vintage and offers easy drinking with suave tannins, complimentary oak, a silky mouthful and a pleasing burst of cherry fruit on the finish. Score: 90. Reviewed March 16, 2015 ARTICLE »
2011 Love & Squalor Antsy Pants Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
12.6% alc., 75 cases, $36. Antsy Pants is the name given to the vintner’s barrel selection bottling of any given vintage, and is a reserve wine. Sourced from Temperance Hill Vineyard in Eola-Amity Hills (34%, Pommard clone)), Winter’s Hill Vineyard in Dundee Hills (33%, Pommard clone) and Saikkonen Vineyard in Ribbon Ridge (33%, clone 667). The grapes are de-stemmed and cold soaked for 7 to 8 days. Small-lot fermentations were not inoculated and punched down gently by hand or foot. Aged 18 months in neutral French oak barrels and racked twice before bottling on April 16, 2013. · Light reddish purple color in the glass. Pleasing aromas of cherry, allspice, violet, bramble and dried herbs. Modest in weight and delicate, but flavorful, with a core of red berry and cherry fruits framed by supple, suede-like tannins. Very silky on the palate with some finish and admirable balance. This wine reflects the vintage nicely. Score: 90. Reviewed March 16, 2015 ARTICLE »
http://www.princeofpinot.com/winery/2086/