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2006 Stoller Vineyards Pinot Noir
(new release October 2008)
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The Wine
This single-vineyard designate is predominantly from the densest plantings of Pinot Noir at our Stoller Vineyards and provides great concentration of fruit, with good acid backbone. There typically is an earthy, sweet cherry fruit core, soft and broad, with occasional threads of herb.
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. In tightly spaced plantings, utilizing varied rootstocks, and drip irrigation, vines have every advantage on this site. Formerly a turkey farm, the vineyard is owned by winery partners Bill and Cathy Stoller.
The Vintage
I have the highest regard for the Pinot Noirs in barrel, not having seen better fruit EVER from selected blocks or vineyards, including 22 harvests from Ridgecrest! The reds should be held to high expectations. The whites are the surprise, since a very warm vintage often blunts the acid, raises alcohol to unbalance the wine, and softens the fruit to soft and fleshy. Not so in 2006. The Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Blanc are crisp, bright, and scintillating in fruit aromas and complex in spice and fruit flavors. The warmth that came during the growing season abated before most fruit seriously began ripening, with cooler days and, especially important, acid-saving nights giving finesse to the wines. Appealing early, they should age respectably, too. Color me pleased.
Stats
Harvest Data:
Harvested 9/26–9/29/2006 @ 24.4–25.7 brix, 3.57–3.68 pH, and 4.7–5.6 g/L TA, from 3.6 tons per acre cropload
Fermentation:
11–14 days total fermentation with 7 days pre-maceration
Cooperage/Aging:
Aged for 10 months in French oak barrels with 46% new and 69% new or one-year prior use
Clonal Selection:
Selected barrels from 4 vineyard blocks; 100% high-density fruit, Dijon clones 113, 115, and 667
Bottling:
Bottled 9/6/2007
Bottling Analyses:
14.8% alcohol, 3.9 pH, and 5.2 g/L TA
Cases Produced:
604
Suggested Retail:
$44
Release Date:
October 2008
Quotes
Pinot Report, March 2009, Gregory S. Walter: 92. Medium ruby color; deep, spicy cinnamon and cherry aromas; deep cherry and berry flavors with cinnamon spice and sweet oak notes; nice texture; good structure and balance; long finish. Nice cherry flavors and spice notes make this really drinkable now.
Wine Enthusiast, February 2009, Paul Gregutt: 92. ...Warm, rich and spicy Pinot Noir, with a sweet black cherry fruit core, concentrated and well-matched to the acids and tannins. A smooth and luscious midpalate continues to add flavors of butterscotch and toast, leading into a long and quite satisfying finish...
Wine & Spirits, April 2009, Year’s Best Pinot Noir: 91. This wine bears the ripeness of a warm vintage while remaining fresh and lean, with aromas of tobacco, black cherry and earthy, red-fruited flavors. The terse acidity would serve a meal of plank-roasted salmon.
The Wine Advocate, October 2008, Jay Miller: 90+. The 2006 Pinot Noir Stoller Vineyard is more deeply colored and offers up darker fruits. The nose reveals cedar, spice box, black cherry, and black raspberry leading to a wine with a bit more structure than the preceding efforts. There are layers of ripe, savory fruit and a long, pure finish.
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/June 2008, Josh Raynolds: 90. Light red. Spicy redcurrant, strawberry and pomegranate on the nose, picking up smoky herbs, cinnamon and mace with air. Pliant red berry flavors show a liqueur-like sweetness but also nervy minerality and deliver a punch of candied rose. The spice notes repeat on the long, juicy finish. This is delicious.
Northwest Palate, March/April 2009: Highly Recommended. Black cherry aromas are set against a lightly toast background, with a pleasing earthiness also appearing on the nose. Abundant red and dark cherry and plum fruit flavors are encircled by spicy notes of pepper and earth, plus a subtle, yet distinctive, mushroom quality. Aromatic floral tones appear as well, especially on the finish. Sweet and lush, yet with well-focused tannins, this is a rich and layered Pinot that should develop further with 2-3 years in the cellar.
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Winemaker's Comments
Moderate red to garnet Pinot Noir with big, smooth, supple aspects of a fully ripe vintage and the terroir reflections of an excellent site. Aromatics are about potpourri and spice, with violets, lavender, brown spices, and a characteristic earthiness we find as a Stoller marker. Red and black fruits are apparent, with plum, cherry, and strawberry hints, augmented by mushroom, peppercorn, and cola. The wine is soft and round, with smooth, silky black tea–like tannins, creamy texture, great balance, and a long finish. Lovely.