Uncorking Oregon: Stoller Estate's Willamette Valley Chardonnay

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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Chapters

• 0:00 Wine Industry Overview
• 0:31 Introducing Stoller Estate Chardonnay
• 1:27 Winemaking Process and Techniques
• 3:42 Tasting Notes and Value Analysis
• 6:16 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day Domain Day Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain Day. Domain. Wine was down, beer was down, spirits were down. Last year I read somewhere that wines above 50% were up 1%. Everybody else was bad. And what we have today is the Stoller Estate, willamette Valley, chardonnay 2023. Stoller Estates are pretty legitimate, really good winery up in Oregon. They do estate wines. They have a number of different brands, their quality. They've been around since 2001.

Speaker 1: 1:01

The family was in the wine industry since the 1980s. Before that they were turkey farmers, so Thanksgiving it was their day. Now why this pretty Thanksgiving too? But this is their. Well, it's not something value price because this one lists for $25. So it's their version of value price and it's it's a good value because it's a really good wine and what this is. This is not from their estate. They chose vineyards throughout Willamette Valley which they've been there for 25 years, been in there another 15 years or so. They know everybody. When they buy grapes from somebody, they're buying grapes, my friend. So it's not, oh, it's not a state. That doesn't happen, doesn't matter. I mean, there are some advantages to knowing your own vineyard, but in this type of wine it doesn't really matter that much.

Speaker 1: 2:01

This is an unopened. What's the Actually? I remember, oh, 82% of the wine was in stainless steel, fermented and aged. 9% was in concrete. I'm not sure it's in a vat or one of those. It looks like a, it's like a round ball and the they rest in a neutral oak barrel. Stainless steel does not allow air to get through, so there is no air contact with the wine. Neutral oak doesn't give any flavor, but there is a little bit of oxygen that gets in with the wine. That changes things just a little bit. And the concrete, again, it doesn't let any air in. But what it does do is it insulates the wine from temperature and humidity because the walls are that thick where it is kind of in a very happy place. So the three of those are put together and you don't really get. So you're not getting that buttery thing. But the leaves are stirred. The leaves are the dead yeast and they stir it twice a month and that can bring out a creamy, nutty flavor and I got a little bit of vanilla cream from the wine. Twice a month doesn't sound like much, but it was enough to give me that and I'm going to take a taste.

Speaker 1: 3:35

They use Dijon clones, a selection of Dijon clones. It was enough to give me that and I'm gonna take a taste. They used John clones, a selection of Dijon clones. Clones with grapes are really important. I'm gonna take a simple talk about that. The yeast used to start fermentation brings out different flavors, brings out different textures, and Dijon is a yeast variation from Burgundy. Burgundy, france, that's the home of both Sardines, pinot Noir. So by using Dijon, they're kind of making the wines Burgundian. And, by contrast, california uses Wente clones for Chardonnay like 75% of the time, which is a little bit different type of clone because these clones take out flavor. So, dijon, you're going to get a little bit of that French Burgundy style. Now, when I drink it it is kind of juicy and fresh and alive, and I'm not so sure that Burgundy does that all the time with their wines.

Speaker 1: 4:43

This is a really delicious wine. This is a wine that tastes great. I mean, it's so very easy to drink. I know people you know in tastings oh, I don't like 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 flavor and it's something that's really. It's a nice for $25,.

Speaker 1: 5:13

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 the flavor come out. You got the cool temperatures up there where you can get the long growing season, so the the wines are fully, uh, fully ripened, full acidities. The acidity is great too. I said this a couple times. If you're talking to a Burgundian winemaker, tell them that the acidity is wonderful and it has great length and they're happy. This wine has excellent acidity and has really good length. The flavor has a lot of time to unfold and it really tastes great.

Speaker 1: 5:52

This is a tasty wine. Like I said, this is one of the I found for $15,. It sells for $25. I mean, I've seen sales for $17, $18. Take another sip and a wine shop had a quick sale $10 off and I took advantage of it and it wouldn't have been there if wine sales hadn't been off. So you got to look for these things. Is this particular one going to be on sale anywhere? No, it's worth buying at its regular price, maybe just waiting for a sale. That's more normal, not anything huge, but the Stoller Estates, willamette Value, chardonnay 2023,. This is kind of their entry into the Stoller Wine Estates family. This is excellent. It tastes great. It's a well-made wine, it really sips well. You could have it with parrot, with food. It's got enough body, got enough flavor that you could get pretty adventuresome with. You're going to parrot and that's it for me. That's domain day cheap wine findercom. Stoler estates, willamette valley, chardonnay 2023. It's a winner. Uh, adios, keep it cheap and I'll be talking to you in a couple of days. Bye.