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2001 Stoller Vineyards Pinot Noir

(updated 3/23/04)

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The Wine

This single vineyard designate is predominantly from the densest plantings of pinot noir at our Stoller Vineyard 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 Vineyard

Stoller Vineyards is our newest, and therefore most viticulturally advanced, of the three estate vineyards. A south-sloping, 115 acre vineyard on a 350 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

2001 is a soft, big vintage. It saw almost ideal growing and ripening weather and less than an inch of rain during harvest. This is not a typical cool climate vintage and the pinot noirs will be soft, fleshy and early appealing. Whites will be full and broad, and early maturing. The alcohols are restrained slightly by yields that were neither too generous nor forced extreme extraction: pinot noirs, 2.38 tons/acre; chardonnay, 2.77; pinot gris, 2.26; riesling, 2.77; gamay noir, 1.86; pinot blanc, 4.27.

Stats

Harvest Data:

Harvested from 9/28-10/7/2001 @ 22.1-25.0 brix, 3.40-3.47 pH, and 5.8-7.8 g/l TA, from 2.7 tons per acre cropload

Fermentation:

Average of 10 days total fermentation with 5 days pre maceration

Cooperage/Aging:

11 months in barrel, with one racking, in 35% new French oak barrels, 70% new and 1 year prior use

Wine Selection:

Selected barrels from six fermentation lots, 32% Dijon clones/68% Pommard, 88% high density fruit

Bottling:

Bottled 9/11/02

Bottling Analyses:

14.4% alcohol, 5.2 g/l TA, 3.82 pH

Cases Produced:

820

Suggested Retail:

$39

Release Date:

August, 2003

Winemaker's Comments

As vines from this excellent site mature, the wines get better and better, reflecting greater depth of color, mid-palate complexity and texture, including breadth and length. From vintage and site, this is a fully ripe wine, reflecting warm brown spices, lush sweetness of preserves, and yet a finely structured framework of surprisingly bright acidity. This is our best Stoller since 1997, showing refinement and a serious complexity of flavors and textures.

Quotes

Northwest Palate, January/February, 2004: Vanilla, toast and black cherry aromas. Elegant, with focused black cherry flavors and a moderately tannic finish.

Oregon Wine Report, November 2003, Issue 17, Cole Danehower: B ...immediate scents of soil and cedar give way to a sweeter light cherry essence...the finish is quite intense with long sustained and warm flavors of chocolate and cherries.

Wine Spectator, May 2003, Harvey Steiman: 87 Points. Firm in texture with chewy tannins and earthy cherry flavors, finishing with a floral flourish...