Wine Notes > Pinot Blanc > Current Release
2008 Stoller Vineyards Pinot Blanc
(new release October 2009)
The Wine
This Pinot Blanc continues our appreciation of Alsace varietals. From our newest plantings at Stoller Vineyards, there is excellent ripeness and clean flavors. Experiments have developed a process that combines classic Alsace texture and Kaiserstuhl ripe characteristics, showing a purity of fruit, lushness, and huge weight on the palate. We think we’ve found the key to making predictably complex wines from a potentially monochromatic variety.
The Vineyards
Stoller Vineyards is one of the newest, and therefore most viticulturally advanced, of our estate vineyards. A south-sloping, 176-acre vineyard on a 373-acre parcel, Stoller Vineyards commands a dominating view of the southern end of the Red Hills of Dundee, giving it regular comparison to Burgundy’s Corton Hill. Stoller Vineyards is planted on Jory soil, with a touch of Nekia, both deep red volcanic soil types. There are one and a half acres of Pinot Blanc at the site. Formerly a turkey farm, the vineyard is owned by winery partners Bill and Cathy Stoller.
The Vintage
The 2008 vintage saw one of the coolest growing seasons on record, with 1,976 degree-days of heat during the growing season, versus the average for the last twelve years of 2,212 degree-days, and second only to 1,968 degree-days in 1999. This vintage resembles 1999 in the counterintuitive ripeness of the crop we finally harvested, and both vintages showed very good acid levels and excellent, full ripeness at lower sugars. Look for both whites and reds to excel this year, with very ageable wines, rich and complex from release to old age. Lower croploads, almost half-crop in nature, also similar to 1999, brought some of this richness, with harvest dates that were two-plus weeks later than average but not experiencing significant rainfall.
Stats
Harvest Data:
Harvested 10/15/2008 @ 22.1 brix, 3.24 pH, and 7.4 g/L TA
Fermentation:
Fermented with several yeasts in barrel (VL-1, VL-3, SIHA7 & ALS) and in tank (VL-1), barrels being neutral with a single new Vosges barrel
Cooperage/Aging:
44% barrel fermentation and 56% tank fermentation; no ML
Bottling:
Cold stabilized, filtered and bottled screwcap 3/26/2009
Bottling Analyses:
13.6% alcohol, 7.1 g/L TA, 3.19 pH, 0.30% residual sugar
Cases Produced:
300
Suggested Retail:
$16 (TO ORDER)
Release Date:
October 2009
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© CHEHALEM
31190 NE Veritas Lane • Newberg, OR 97132
Tasting Room (503) 538-4700 • Winery (503) 537-5553 • Fax (503) 537-0850
Winemaker's Comments
A variety occasionally maligned by me, I can’t disparage this vintage in any way. Tight, lime, honeydew melon, lemon curd, honey, and white blossoms aromatically, with a rich, full, lush, and oily palate texture. This wine shows a full range of fruits from citrus to spiced apples and pear, with an underlying minerality that is compelling. The balance is perfect, with great, bracing acid and a silky, sweet finish. I may have to eat my normal words, or better yet drink them.
Quotes
Wine Enthusiast, December 2009, Paul Gregutt: 91. Chehalem is one of a number of Oregon wineries who have really dialed in Pinot Blanc. It tastes like a perfect cross of pinot gris and chardonnay, with spice and fruit, pears and citrus rind, even a whiff of fennel. What truly distinguishes this vineyard-designated bottling is its tight focus; the flavors deepen and extend through a lovely finish.
Wine Spectator, December 2009, Harvey Steiman: 90. This tangy white shows lively grapefruit, pear and floral aromas and flavors that linger on the vibrant finish.
Wine Advocate, August 2009, Jay Miller: 89. …Exhibits aromas of baking spices, cinnamon, apple, and white peach. Vibrant on the palate, this well-balanced, lengthy wine will drink well for 2–3 years.