When I returned from my trip to the Pacific Northwest this Spring, one of the first articles I intended to write was about my visit to Stoller Family Estate. Over the years, they have been incredibly nice to me and this blog and, as always, my visit there was stellar.

Then, just a couple weeks after I got back to Houston, I saw the terrible news that Bill Stoller, the founder and CEO of the Stoller Wine Group, had passed away. I had only met Mr. Stoller on a couple of occasions and I harbor no illusions that he remembered me in any way, but he had a bigger than life personality and certainly was the focal point of the room he was in.

I can only imagine how incredibly difficult it has been for his family and those who knew him in the few short months since his passing and I was not sure how to honor his legacy (or if it was even my place to do so).

Bill Stoller from stollerfamilywines.com

It seemed clear to me that Mr. Stoller wore many hats: philanthropist, mentor, ambassador for the Oregon wine industry, and even, perhaps, an environmentalist (Stoller Winery is believed to be the world’s first LEED Gold-certified winery). But he was also an entrepreneur and businessman, and I imagine he would want his wineries to continue to operate and sell wine.

It is with that in mind that I publish these tasting notes from my time there this past Spring.

As I mentioned, my first stop was at Stoller, which has evolved from its modest beginnings as a turkey farm to a somewhat sprawling campus with several tasting rooms and even a couple of rental properties.

2023 Stoller Estate Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $40. About 7000 cases produced, fermented in both concrete eggs and stainless steel, 10 months on lees. Lovely nose of lemon curd and mineral. Great palate: tart, mineral and loaded with fruit. Very nice. Excellent. 91 Points. 

2023 Stoller Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $40. 10 months in French oak (17% new). Wonderful cherry and vanilla on the nose. Rich. Palate is nicely balanced and nuanced. Excellent. 91 Points. 

2023 Stoller Winemaker’s Series Classic Clones Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $50. 800 cases produced. 100% Dijon Clone 777, nine months in French oak (30% new). Earthy and a bit earthy on the nose with dried cherry. Tons of fruit on the palate, even really fruity. Rich with some nice depth. Very nice. Outstanding. 93 Points. 

2022 Stoller Legacy Helen’s Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $75. 535 cases. Mostly Wädenswil Clone, 10 months in French oak, 35% new. Named after Bill Stoller’s Aunt Helen, who had lived on the property. 20 acres planted, ten of Pinot Noir and ten of Chardonnay. Rich and concentrated nose with deep color and some wonderful cranberry and wild cherry. The palate is equally impressive as it is rich and layered, with loads of fruit and a bit of earth, too. Outstanding. 94 Points. 

2018 Stoller LaRue’s Blanc de Blancs, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $80. 100% Chardonnay. Fermented and aged for eight months in neutral French oak, then an additional four years on the lees in the bottle. While I think I have tasted all of the LaRue’s Rosés (except the 2020) multiple times, I can safely say this is my first(?) shot at the BdB (and hopefully not the last). Quite floral on the nose with tons of fruit (green apple and ripe pear) with a touch of ginger root and hints of autolysis in the glass. As it warms slightly on the palate, both the fruit and the yeasty components are accentuated. Very well made. Outstanding. 93 Points.

After the tasting in the impressive Stoller tasting room, my host, the incomparable Hannah Guth, met me over at the then newly-opened Chehalem tasting room where we had a couple tasty bites from the kitchen as well as a few current releases.

The day was a bit dreary, but the new building was beautiful.

2020 Chehalem Sparkling Brut, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $65. 84% Pinot Noir, 16% Chardonnay. 200 cases produced. Fairly dark in color with a nutty, biscuity nose with some Meyer lemon. Very nutty (hazelnut) on the palate with nice acidity and a brilliant sparkle. Very Good. 89 Points. 

2024 Chehalem Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $28. Lovely wild strawberry and peach on the nose. The palate is quite rich for a rosé and concentrated with that strawberry really coming through. Nice. Excellent. 92 Points. 

2022 Chehalem Pinot Blanc, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $35. Fermented in 58% stainless steel, 31% neutral oak, and 11% concrete egg. 650 cases produced. Pear and some golden apple on the nose. Interesting palate that has some Gewurztraminer aspects to it as it comes off quite floral and somewhat spicy. Very Good. 88 Points. 

2023 Chehalem Grüner Veltliner, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $35. Fermented in stainless steel, no malolactic fermentation. 400 cases. There is not a ton of domestic Grüner around, so I was excited to see this in the Chehalem lineup. A touch of apple with plenty of pear and lemon but quite shy, actually. Quite tart even close to searing acidity with austere fruit and a lovely finish. Excellent. 90 Points. 

There is a kitchen in the new facility that serves up some tasty treats.

2012 Chehalem Grüner Veltliner, Ridgecrest Vineyards, Ribbon Ridge AVA, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $50(?). As I mentioned above, there is not much Grüner in the US, so to try one with over a dozen years of age on it? Yowza. Lime lemon and a whole lot of petrol on the nose. Whoa. Incredible on the palate, quite viscous and rich with a honeyed aspect. This is really something special. Yowza. Outstanding. 94 Points. 

2021 Chehalem Pinot Noir, Corral Creek Vineyard, Laurelwood District, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $50. 10 months in French oak (40% new). 485 cases produced. The nose is characterized by the abundant fruit (mostly cherry with perhaps some raspberry in the background). That fruit translates to the palate along with some earth, a savory, mushroom-y aspect, a touch of spice, and a lovely tartness. Fantastic. Excellent. 92 Points. 

2022 Chehalem Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir, Laurelwood District, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $50. 10 months in French oak (40% new). 995 cases. First vintage from this property, which was purchased in 2018 and planted mainly to three Dijon clones: 667, 777, and Pommard. Another expressive nose, but this is a bit darker with more of a black cherry and red currant, and understated earthy aspects. Richer and denser than the Corral Creek with plenty of heft and chutzpah, all that fruit is nicely paired with a zingy tartness and some silky tannins. Nicely balanced and wonderful length. Outstanding. 93 Points. 

2022 Chehalem Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $70. Roughly 25% whole cluster, 14 months in French oak (46% new). 325 cases produced. This is interesting as this is perhaps the darkest Oregon Pinot I have tried with much more dark berry fruit (blackberry and cassis) with perhaps a touch of black cherry lurking about. There is also a decided mocha note on the nose–very un-Pinot-esque (at least to me). The palate? Whoa. Super rich and concentrated with plenty of fruit, this really challenges what I have come to consider “Willamette Pinot”. Yowza. Not my style, perhaps, but really well done. Outstanding. 95 Points.