Oregon & Washington Wine Specialists Since 1988
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Stoller Vineyards
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Stoller Pinot noir- The November 2004 Avalon Reserve Pinot noir Club focused on one North Willamette Valley vineyard, Stoller Vineyard. We tasted three wines, all made from Stoller Vineyard’s fruit, from three different producers, from three different vintages.
The wines were: Stoller read more
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Stoller Pinot noir- The November 2004 Avalon Reserve Pinot noir Club focused on one North Willamette Valley vineyard, Stoller Vineyard. We tasted three wines, all made from Stoller Vineyard’s fruit, from three different producers, from three different vintages.
The wines were: Stoller Vineyards Estate Pinot noir 01 $42
Second Generation, Although the vineyard is not as well known as some of the older vineyards in Oregon, I believe that this vineyard will become a key one in the years to come. its location at almost the center of the North Willamette Appellation and its soils and slope make it an accurate representation of Oregon’s North Willamette Pinot noir vineyards. The careful planning of owner and consultants, and the experience drawn from previously planted vineyards, make this site's vineyard a true "second generation" Oregon vineyard. The vineyard incorporates spacing, trellising, clonal selections, and irrigation techniques that have been developed over the last 30 years by pioneering winemakers across the Willamette Valley. History With the advice of Harry Peterson-Nedry (Chehalem co-owner), Patrice Rion (winemaker from Burgundy who has given them advice over the years), vineyard consultant Allen Holstein, and Joel Myers, they planted 10 acres each of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The vineyard now encompasses 121 acres, mostly planted to Pinot noir. Vineyard Overview
The vineyard has steep hillsides, rocky, low yielding Jory type soil, and the terrain bears a distinct resemblance to the famed Corton Vineyard in Burgundy, leading some winemakers to refer to Stoller as “Corton Hill”. The 2001 Vintage
The RPNC Club’s representative Stoller wine from the 2001 vintage was made for Stoller by Harry Nedry– Petersen and Cheryl Francis of Chehalem Winery. The Stoller Vineyard Pinot noir 01 was the first release from the vineyard’s winery and the grapes were harvested during the first week of October, 2001. The wine was made at Chehalem. At the winery, the Pinot Noir grapes were destemmed and transferred to three and five ton fermenters, where they underwent a cold soak lasting five days. After the extended cold soak, the must began a fermentation lasting approximately 14 days, during which the caps were punched down three times daily. Once the primary fermentation had come to a close, the juice was pressed off and transferred to barrel. Harry and Cheryl chose a combination of medium-plus toast, tightly grained (Allier and Troncais) French oak barrels, about 45% of which were new. Here the wines aged for twelve months, during which time they were racked only prior to bottling. 448 bottles were made.
Harry has this to say about the wine, three years after its production: “Deep ruby in color, the 2001 Stoller Pinot Noir offers up notes of rhubarb, black tea, and lavender in the nose. Deep and brooding in the mouth, with flavors reminiscent of chocolate covered cherries and pipe tobacco, this wine possesses a beautiful balance between fine tannin and sweet, rich fruit.” Here at Avalon we found the wine to be somewhat closed when we first tried
it 18 months ago. A recent retasting showed very impressive changes, both
in the more open and layered nature of the flavors, and in the now excellent
balance. The nose of the 2001 is vibrantly fresh, with clean oak, hints
of herbs, and red berry scents. The tannins are very fine-grained and well
integrated, making it a silky, nuanced wine, more elegant than blockbuster.
The finish goes on quite a long time, replaying the flavors of black berry,
with subtle hints of spice and very subtly, mint. Quite lovely.
The
RPN Club’s 2002 example of Stoller Vineyard Pinot noir is Chehalem
Stoller Vineyard 2002. Made from the second vintage of wine from
Stoller, the wine has already received Kudoes from Wine Advocate, with
a 91+ rating and the following review: The 2002 Chehalem Stoller Vineyard Pinot noir 02 shows how an additional year of vine maturity adds complexity and depth to wines made from the vineyard. Tasting the wine side by side with the 2001 Stoller, many similarities are clear, but the 2002 shows increased viscosity and roundness, and hints of herbs, chocolate, earth, and spice encircling a firm core of very deftly balanced tannins that are not as evident in the 2001 wine. Ah, the wonders of maturing, well managed vines. The 2003 Vintage Wow– he really does have the knack for making hedonistic, rich, lovely wines. This one is so fruit forward, just
a lush blend of blackberries, blueberries, hints of blue plum, and that red-hots sweet cinnamon oak again. What an interesting evolution of the Stoller fruit. Of course, this wine was made by a different winemaker than the 01 and 02 wines, but even allowing for Gary’s style, the “terroir” of Stoller Vineyard and the increased complexity of the 2003 vintage are clear. At right, Gary and family. Summary |
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