Uncorking Oregon: Stoller Estate's Willamette Valley Chardonnay

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Wine lovers, take note! While the alcohol industry faces declining sales across all categories, we've discovered a stunning bright spot in Oregon's Willamette Valley. The Stoller Estate Chardonnay 2023 represents everything we look for in a quality wine that won't break the bank.

Officially priced at $25 but occasionally available for as little as $15 during promotions, this Chardonnay reveals the fascinating history behind Stoller's evolution from turkey farmers in the 1980s to established wine producers since 2001. What makes this bottle special lies in its sophisticated production methods: a precise blend of 82% stainless steel fermentation and aging, 9% concrete vessels, and the remainder in neutral oak barrels. The combination creates a remarkable texture while avoiding overly buttery characteristics that sometimes turn people away from Chardonnay.

The use of Burgundian Dijon clones rather than the California-standard Wente clones delivers a more European-inspired profile, while twice-monthly lees stirring introduces subtle creamy, nutty dimensions. The result? A juicy, fresh, and vibrant Chardonnay with excellent acidity and impressive length that keeps the flavors developing across your palate. This versatile wine pairs beautifully with various foods and represents an exceptional introduction to the Stoller portfolio. Whether you find it on sale or pay full price, you're getting a meticulously crafted wine that dramatically outperforms its cost. In challenging economic times for the wine industry, gems like this make the hunt for great values all the more rewarding! Subscribe to our podcast for more exceptional wine finds that keep your palate happy and your wallet intact.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Domain Day.
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Wine was down, beer was down,spirits were down.

(00:23):
Last year I read somewhere thatwines above 50% were up 1%.
Everybody else was bad.
And what we have today is theStoller Estate, willamette
Valley, chardonnay 2023.
Stoller Estates are prettylegitimate, really good winery

(00:45):
up in Oregon.
They do estate wines.
They have a number of differentbrands, their quality.
They've been around since 2001.
The family was in the wineindustry since the 1980s.
Before that they were turkeyfarmers, so Thanksgiving it was

(01:09):
their day.
Now why this prettyThanksgiving too?
But this is their.
Well, it's not something valueprice because this one lists for
$25.
So it's their version of valueprice and it's it's a good value
because it's a really good wineand what this is.
This is not from their estate.
They chose vineyards throughoutWillamette Valley which they've

(01:37):
been there for 25 years, beenin there another 15 years or so.
They know everybody.
When they buy grapes fromsomebody, they're buying grapes,
my friend.
So it's not, oh, it's not astate.
That doesn't happen, doesn'tmatter.
I mean, there are someadvantages to knowing your own
vineyard, but in this type ofwine it doesn't really matter

(01:58):
that much.
This is an unopened.
What's the Actually?
I remember, oh, 82% of the winewas in stainless steel,
fermented and aged.
9% was in concrete.
I'm not sure it's in a vat orone of those.

(02:19):
It looks like a, it's like around ball and the they rest in
a neutral oak barrel.
Stainless steel does not allowair to get through, so there is
no air contact with the wine.
Neutral oak doesn't give anyflavor, but there is a little

(02:41):
bit of oxygen that gets in withthe wine.
That changes things just alittle bit.
And the concrete, again, itdoesn't let any air in.
But what it does do is itinsulates the wine from
temperature and humidity becausethe walls are that thick where
it is kind of in a very happyplace.

(03:01):
So the three of those are puttogether and you don't really
get.
So you're not getting thatbuttery thing.
But the leaves are stirred.
The leaves are the dead yeastand they stir it twice a month
and that can bring out a creamy,nutty flavor and I got a little

(03:24):
bit of vanilla cream from thewine.
Twice a month doesn't soundlike much, but it was enough to
give me that and I'm going totake a taste.
They use Dijon clones, aselection of Dijon clones.
It was enough to give me thatand I'm gonna take a taste.
They used John clones, aselection of Dijon clones.
Clones with grapes are reallyimportant.
I'm gonna take a simple talkabout that.

(03:45):
The yeast used to startfermentation brings out
different flavors, brings outdifferent textures, and Dijon is
a yeast variation from Burgundy.

(04:08):
Burgundy, france, that's thehome of both Sardines, pinot
Noir.
So by using Dijon, they're kindof making the wines Burgundian.
And, by contrast, californiauses Wente clones for Chardonnay
like 75% of the time, which isa little bit different type of
clone because these clones takeout flavor.

(04:29):
So, dijon, you're going to geta little bit of that French
Burgundy style.
Now, when I drink it it is kindof juicy and fresh and alive,
and I'm not so sure thatBurgundy does that all the time
with their wines.
This is a really delicious wine.
This is a wine that tastesgreat.
I mean, it's so very easy todrink.
I know people you know intastings oh, I don't like

(04:52):
Chardonnay.
It tastes like butter.
Oh, I don't like Chardonnay.
It tastes like butter.
There's no butter here.
It's just really good flavorand it's something that's really
.
It's a nice for $25,.

(05:13):
I mean, this is the one above.
It is in all sorts of you know,unless it's a little bit of
neutral oak, because it lets theflavor come out.
You got the cool temperaturesup there where you can get the
long growing season, so the thewines are fully, uh, fully
ripened, full acidities.
The acidity is great too.

(05:35):
I said this a couple times.
If you're talking to aBurgundian winemaker, tell them
that the acidity is wonderfuland it has great length and
they're happy.
This wine has excellent acidityand has really good length.
The flavor has a lot of time tounfold and it really tastes
great.
This is a tasty wine.
Like I said, this is one of theI found for $15,.

(05:57):
It sells for $25.
I mean, I've seen sales for $17, $18.
Take another sip and a wineshop had a quick sale $10 off
and I took advantage of it andit wouldn't have been there if
wine sales hadn't been off.
So you got to look for thesethings.

(06:18):
Is this particular one going tobe on sale anywhere?
No, it's worth buying at itsregular price, maybe just
waiting for a sale.
That's more normal, notanything huge, but the Stoller
Estates, willamette Value,chardonnay 2023,.
This is kind of their entryinto the Stoller Wine Estates
family.
This is excellent.

(06:39):
It tastes great.
It's a well-made wine, itreally sips well.
You could have it with parrot,with food.
It's got enough body, gotenough flavor that you could get
pretty adventuresome with.
You're going to parrot andthat's it for me.
That's domain day cheap winefindercom.
Stoler estates, willamettevalley, chardonnay 2023.

(07:02):
It's a winner.
Uh, adios, keep it cheap andI'll be talking to you in a
couple of days.
Bye.