2009 Vintage Tasting Notes

The 2009 Viognier was the favorite Roots wine at Chris's tasting in Avalon Wine's shop in Corvallis. Luscious.

Fruit Sources: Seven Hills Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley & Outlook Vineyard, Columbia Valley (WA)

Previous Vintage Tasting Notes

2006 Vintage Tasting Notes

Big and earthy on the nose and opens to a deep concentrated red cherry on the palate. Bits of bramble and fruit leather combine in this very lush 06 Pinot. Chewy tannins on the finish will give this wine nice ageability. This wine finds a nice balance of earth, fruit and tannin. 270 Cases produced.

2005 Vintage Notes

NoseScents of sweet red raspberry, cranberry, and cherry mingle with an intense floral note, mostly violets with hints of rose petal.

FlavorsIn the mouth, flavors of fresh sweet red raspberry, blackberry, and red cherry dominate, with notes of cinnamon, barrel spice, and a subtle earthiness. The wine is juicy, with great balanced acidity, sweetness, and subtle tannins. FinishThe finish reiterates the fruit and spices, and adds a distinct sense of dried thyme and culinary herbs, entwined in barrel spice.

An Estate wine from Chris Berg, who also offers his own Racine and Klee wines.

2004 Vintge Notes

Excellent value! Chris Berg's small Estate vineyard across the valley from Ribbon Ridge, made from young vines, showing a lot of depth and nice flavors. This wine has quite a following with Avalon customers. It's a lot of quality for the price.

2004 tasting notes: What a yummball! This is a big, fruity, spicy crowdpleaser. A light nose of rose and floral/herbal notes mingles with hints of pie cherry fruit. Flavors are of sweet red fruit, black raspberry and blackberry, pie spice, a bit of tannins but not intrusive, and nice acidity with good balance for cellaring, remarkable at this price. 2004's cooler summer and small harvest make for concentrated, well balanced Pinots, ready to drink, lower in alcohol than the 2003's - a vintage to grab, especially at this price. -jy

Most of the fruit came from the upper block of his vineyard, a block comprised of Pinot noir clones 113, 115, and 777. The wine was aged in 30% new Francois Freres oak (Allier and Nevar), 40% year old Francois Freres and Gillet oak, 10% neutral oak, and 20% Hungarian oak.

Chris Berg is winemaker for several different wineries and has worked at Rex Hill and Archery Summit. He has a small 6 acre vineyard , from which he produced this wine, his second vintage.

From the winery:

Beginning, Belonging, Becoming. Roots symbolizes origin, ancestry and birthplace. Racine, the French word for root, is owner Chris Berg's own birthplace. Roots also symbolizes family ties and community support as well as growth and the future's awesome potential.