Ultra-Small Production Vin Chicago Exclusive Oregon Pinots!
Reunited and it feels so good. Years ago we were introduced to the hauntingly pretty Oregon wines of Annedria and Andrew Beckham. The hookup came by a highly unlikely source, a passionate Piemontese wine importer who was so captivated by the wines of this young couple, that he added them as the only non-Italian wines in his portfolio.
The Beckhams had no intention of growing grapes or making wine when they settled on a remote sliver of land on Parrett Mountain in the Willamette Valley’s Chehalem Mountains. They were there to start a family and gain space for Andrew’s pottery production business — but there is something very infectious about being among the greatest Pinot Noir terroir in the New World.
With their own hands, they planted their backyard to vines and by 2009 had their first finished wines. Inspired by Elisabetta Foradori’s use of amphorae in her winemaking, Andrew utilized his expertise of pottery to make clay fermentation vessels for their wine, and to become THE source for them across the entire American wine scene.
The complexity of interstate distribution, the pandemic and the Beckham’s minuscule production resulted in us not seeing their wines for several years. A chance conversation with a Vin Chicago customer whose daughter was their beloved associate winemaker, however, rekindled the relationship and led to us visiting them at their estate and bringing in a small quantity of their tiny production wines exclusively for our customers.
Today we present you with their alluring 2022 Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir and their sultry 2021 "Dow's". With production of less than 200 and 100 cases respectively, these unique wines are darn near impossible to find. Read on to learn more, then grab your allocation with the Big Green Button!
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2022 Beckham Estate Pinot Noir
Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, Oregon
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Local growers hope that someday Parrett Mountain will be recognized as its own distinct subregion, as Ribbon Ridge was twenty years ago. For now, understand that this site uniquely has a large amount of those famous red Jory soils underneath it, contributing a succulent core of red fruit to this singular, artisan Pinot Noir.
This tiny-production wine comes from their organically dry-farmed home vineyard. Even in the rich 2022 vintage, production was less than 200 cases. That wouldn’t even register a blip at many wineries. In a valley of small producers, the Beckhams are downright microscopic.
Achingly pretty, this high toned Pinot Noir offers notes of dried rose petal, beet root, crushed brick, dried cherries, black limes, powdered raspberry, bergamot, sumac and forest floor. It’s a snappy, linear, incredibly fresh wine that feels like it's living and breathing with you.
Utilizing fruit from their Pommard, Wädenswil, Dijon 115 and Dijon 777 clone vines, Andrew rears the wine half in neutral French oak and half in his famous clay terra cotta amphorae. The synergy of vintage, site and vessel has delivered a wine that encapsulates the ethereal personality and high-toned red fruit that we adore in world class Pinot Noir, be they from Oregon or a Premier Cru site in Savigny-lès-Beaunes.
Please decant for at least 30 minutes before serving in large-bowled stemware beside grilled salmon or chicken koobideh. Looking online, we could not find even a single listing for this charismatic, electrically long-finishing Pinot Noir. Thanks to our direct relationship with the Beckhams, we are thrilled to give you a crack at it today.
Vin Chicago Price: 35.99
2021 Beckham Estate “Dow’s” Pinot Noir
Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, Oregon
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Each year Andrew tastes through all of his Pinot Noir barrels searching for three or four that represent the crème de la crème of the vintage. From these hand-picked barrels, he creates this “Dow’s” bottling, a reserve wine named in honor of his father and grandfather.
This sultry, silky Pinot Noir beats the signature of Jory sourced fruit accented by a longer elevage in barrel. Its soft, supple palate entry is marked by fresh ripe cherry and bramble. Unmistakable Willamette terroir here, with a wild edge found only at hidden-away vineyards. There is enduring richness and texture here, with added mocha, dried cranberry, cedar and iron tones that are incredibly long-finishing and deeply satisfying.
We know that Beckhams don’t need reviews to sell their teeny amount of this wine, but we are really curious how this soulful, pale-yet-deep Pinot would rate, as it definitely is up there with Oregon's best.
Vin Chicago Price: 52.99
