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.

Check us out at http://www.cheapwinefinder.com

or email us at [email protected]

Wine Industry Overview

Speaker 1
0:02

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Day
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Domain

Day
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Domain

Day
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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

Introducing Stoller Estate Chardonnay

Speaker 1
0:31

.

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

Winemaking Process and Techniques

Speaker 1
1:27

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

Tasting Notes and Value Analysis

Speaker 1
3:42

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

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Speaker 1
6:16

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
.

About the Author
Don’t tell anyone, but there is absolutely no correlation between the cost of wine and the quality of wine.

2 comments on “Uncorking Oregon: Stoller Estate’s Willamette Valley Chardonnay

  1. James Hutchins says:

    Dave you must be using AI to create the transcript of your audio. I had to chucklewhen it printed you suggested pairing the wine with parrot.
    I do enjoy your reviews and check in twice a week to read your posts. Keep up the good work and keep it cheap.

  2. Domaine Dave says:

    Thanks, and cook the parrot medium rare

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