While discovering new wines is a lot of fun and certainly very exciting, there’s something to be said for the tried and true. There are those times I’m about to open a bottle of wine and I want the feeling of visiting with an old friend. One of the pleasures of those friendships is they know you, you know them and there’s no real learning curve.
Sometimes it can work that way with wine too. Stoller Family Estate is located in the Dundee Hills of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. They have 225 acres planted, largely to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Their portfolio features a handful of wines that see national distribution and quite a few more that are available exclusively though the winery. I just tasted a trio of their wines that are available throughout the country, and as usual with Stoller, there’s a lot to like.
Stoller Family Estate 2019 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Rosé ($28)
9,000 cases of this Rosé, entirely comprised of Pinot Nor, were produced. Aromas of strawberry and orange zest lead things off. The palate shows off continued juicy red fruit, yellow cling peach and bits of cranberry. White tea and a hint of peppercorn emerge on the finish. Zippy acid keeps everything here in check.
Stoller Family Estate 2019 Dundee Hills Chardonnay ($28)
10,000 cases of this, one of several Chardonnays they offer were produced. They use all of the Chardonnay clones grown on their property to produce this wine. The result is a classic example of Willamette Valley Chardonnay. There’s plenty of orchard fruit here in the form of Bartlett Pear and Green Apple. There’s also a vein of bright Meyer lemon that runs through it from the first whiff to the last sip. A gentle core of spices drives the above average finish. This is a great value in Chardonnay at its price point. You should also consider their reserve Chardonnay which I covered in this recent story.
Stoller Family Estate 2018 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir ($35)
16, 750 cases of this particular Pinot Noir were produced. Just as with the Chardonnay they utilized every Pinot Noir clone on their Estate. As one would expect from a size-able Willamette Valley producer, this is one of a number of distinct Pinots in their portfolio. Ripe wild strawberry and hints of leather drive the aromatics. Black tea, red cherry and bits of earth are evident on the impressive finish. $35 is a friendly price for a well made Pinot Noir that expresses a sense of place.
I’ve tasted these wines over a number of vintages and they’re always worth the money, and then some. They vary of course based on vintage conditions, but that’s the beauty of honest wine.