Review: Wines of La Biblioteca, 2023 Vintage
La Biblioteca is an Oregon winery but its winemaker hails from Burgundy. Francois Millet, the legendary winemaker who ran Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue in Chambolle-Musigny for decades, took the winemaking reins here in 2022 as a consultant. The new 2023 vintage is the first with his imprint.
Over Zoom from his offices in France, Millet walked me through the complete La Biblioteca lineup, while he waxed philosophical about his approach to vines and wines. He describes his philosophy as intensely terroir-focused, describing terroir to be a lot “like people — some are extroverts, some are introverts; some like contact, some don’t.” While not self-described as a minimalist winemaker, he says he is always “diplomatic” and respectful of the place where he’s working, with an avowed desire to put “beauty and nature in the glass.” The goal: “Do not provoke the vineyard.”
La Bibioteca owns 23 acres of estate vineyards, namely the Aegrina Vineyard in McMinnville, Oregon. One wine is also sourced from the winery’s smaller North Valley Estate Vineyard, which we’ll delve into in our tasting notes of six wines that follow.
2023 La Biblioteca Estate Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
From a blend of most blocks and clones, sourced from the Aegrina Vineyard. This is a clean and gentle pinot noir, the most easygoing wine in the collection. Mild acidity informs a body with ample fruit, emerging as tart and sweet in equal proportion and leaning into maraschino cherry. A gentle but present cranberry edge, and a light dusting of clove, takes the finish out on a slightly rustic note. B+ / $50
2023 La Biblioteca Title Page Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
A bottling of Pinot Noir clone 943, sourced from the highest altitude block in the vineyard. Boldly mineral-driven, with lots of earthiness and top-level floral notes. Ample fruit backs all of that up, with a hearty core of red berries seeing a surprising punch of grated orange peel across the top. There’s plenty of acidity on the back end to keep this wine from getting bogged down, though touches of anise linger on the finish. A- / $65
2023 La Biblioteca Perfect Bind Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Clone 90 Pinot, from a high altitude vineyard block. These wines grow increasingly dense as we go down the line, and here we find La Biblioteca becoming almost wild with overtones of anise and tomato leaf, edged with preserved orange peel and a fistful of fresh green herbs — rosemary and thyme, particularly. There’s enough minerality to keep this wine from falling down its self-created rabbit hole of vegetal earthiness, but I longed for more fruit by the end of the experience. B+ / $75
2023 La Biblioteca Rare Imprint Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
From Clone 777, located similarly to Perfect Bind’s block. Bright and well-structured, this deftly blends fresh berry notes, heavy on raspberry, with edgier touches of graphite and anise — but more cohesively than the curiously similar Perfect Bind offers. Essentially a brother from another mother, this wine tightens things up on the midpalate and layers in racy notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, lingering alongside a touch of mandarin orange as the finish comes to a brighter, effusive conclusion. Perhaps the most overtly fruity wine in the collection, it’s a versatile offering that ends on a clean, citrusy refreshing note. A- / $65
2023 La Biblioteca End Papers Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Clone 777 and Pommard, from North Valley Estate Vineyard, a much different terroir — “darker and more somber,” per Millet. This is a much different wine than all of the above, gravelly and rather brooding on the nose, with healthy notes of anise, then cola and black tea leaf. The palate starts with chocolate and licorice, then folds in a sharper bay leaf character, becoming lightly raisiny with notes of extracted blackberries. There’s a curious Amarone vibe to this wine that one rarely sees in pinot noir, the overall construction coming across with a touch of balsamic, but nothing that ever feels overwhelming or heavy. More evolutionary than any of the other wines in this collection as it develops, pair this one with heavier meals as an alternative to more bluntly tannic options. A / $65
2023 La Biblioteca Chardonnay Estate Willamette Valley
Back to Aegrina Vineyard, made from Chardonnay clones 76 and 95, with limited oak aging (and a notably pale color). Bright right from the jump, showcasing crisp lemon and green apple, then quickly developing more of a sweeter, lemon curd-driven character, chased by coconut. Lingering notes of white flowers provide a springtime vibe, with clean minerality dusting the finish. A standout and extremely versatile Chardonnay that should work well with anything. A / $50
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