Matt Berson, maker of Love & Squalor, is a self-described refugee from the restaurant business who first began apprenticing with Oregon winemakers 2003. Years of travel to places as far-flung as Napa, New Zealand, Germany, and Argentina eventually led back to Oregon, where he and his wife, Angela Reat, founded Portland Wine Company. In 2007, they made 65 cases of wine. By 2016, it was 3,000—with this Willamette Valley Pinot Noir as their hugely overachieving, value-priced flagship. Even when you consider how much Pinot Noir value you regularly get in the Willamette Valley, Love & Squalor still stands out from the pack. Having learned from many great mentors, including Patricia Green, Jay Somers of J. Christopher, and Chris Williams at Brooks, Berson has also amassed a formidable collection of top Willamette Valley vineyard sources. His focus has been on Pinot Noir and Riesling, his growth steady, and his approach both meticulous and minimalist at the same time. This 2019 again captures what Willamette Valley does so well: combine New World exuberance with Old World soul. There are innumerable red Burgundies in this price range that don’t come close to this wine’s level of pleasure and purity, so while it’s been said many times before, we’ll say it yet again: Oregon produces the best price-to-quality Pinot Noirs on the market!
