Wine Notes > Pinot Noir > Current Release
2007 Stoller Vineyards Pinot Noir
(new release October 2009)
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
In summary, we think this may be a fantastic white vintage and a surprisingly good red vintage, despite a cool growing season and the final rains that many times might lead to less intense wines. Most winemakers in the valley knew how to adapt to the cooler weather and took advantage of the vintage’s attributes, such as lower sugars (and therefore alcohols) and higher acids. Because of the exciting influence of vintage in a cool climate like the Willamette Valley, you’ll see nuance differences between this 3 Vineyard and its older siblings. Expect ripeness but with a crisp, bright, fruit edge of minerality from higher acids and the cooler growing season. The vintage will have stellar wines, just with a greater range of styles. Buy whites in general, buy reds from trusted names.
Stats
Harvest Data:
Harvested 9/24–9/29/2007 @ 23–23.5 brix, 3.32–3.41 pH, and 6.0–7.2 g/L TA, from 2.7–4.8 tons per acre cropload
Fermentation:
15–16 days total fermentation with 7–8 days pre-maceration
Cooperage/Aging:
Aged for 10 months in French oak barrels with 70% new and 85% new or one-year prior use
Clonal Selection:
Selected barrels from 4 vineyard blocks; 100% high-density fruit, Dijon clones 113 and 115, Pommard, and Wadenswil
Bottling:
Bottled 9/4/2008
Bottling Analyses:
13.6% alcohol, 3.62 pH, and 5.9 g/L TA
Cases Produced:
710
Suggested Retail:
$32 (TO ORDER)
Release Date:
October 2009
Quotes
Wine Advocate, October 2009, Jay Miller: 91. Medium ruby-colored with a complex aromatic array of toast, mineral, spice box, cherry, and raspberry. Velvety and succulent on the palate, the wine has excellent density, balance, and length. It is the prototypical style of what the vintage permitted in 2007, complete in every way.
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/June 2009, Josh Raynolds: 89. Light red. Smoky cherry and blackberry aromas are complemented by notes of dried rose and minerals. Sweet red and dark berry flavors are braced by a tangy mineral quality and gain depth with air. Finishes on a gently sweet raspberry note, with sneaky persistence.
Wine Enthusiast, December 2009, Paul Gregutt: 89. In 2007 Chehalem's Stoller vineyards Pinot Noir trades some richness for elegance; with wild strawberry and rhubarb flavors bringing tangy fruit to the front.…Sculpted and balanced, it gracefully reflects the scale of the vintage.
Wine Spectator, December 2009, Harvey Steiman: 89. This is tight, with a mild grip of tannins around a pretty core of plum and guava flavors, lingering with a touch of white pepper. Drink now through 2012.
Ken's Wine Guide, February 2010: KWG Score = 91.4 (based on 5 reviews) / Ken's Wine Rating = Very Good (89). This light ruby colored Pinot opens with a shy light raspberry bouqet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, and savory. The flavor profile is a slightly oak infused red raspberry with notes of strawberry licorice and a hint of spice. The finish is dry and its light tannins are slightly prolonged. This Pinot would be a nice match for pork tenderloin. Enjoy.
Gourmet Traveller, December/January 2009, Blazing a Trail in Oregon, Natasha Hughes: WINE TO TRY. This has a slightly minty lift to its dark cherry and damson fruit, as well as hints of the earthy notes that will develop as the wine ages. There's a lot of upfront fruit, but it devolves into the silky elegance so typical of wines made from vineyards planted on the Willamette's volcanic soils.
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Winemaker's Comments
Always stellar in cooler years, this wine is effusive red fruit, overlain with earthy, metallic, leathery notes, supported by very good acid, a long finish, good alcohol, small amount of tannin firmness—i.e., perfectly balanced.