Stoller Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2013: Dark ruby color, translucence; dark red and purple fruits, cherry, raspberry, noticeable oak, delightfully bright acidity (3.49 pH), modest tannins, tart cranberry and cherry on the finish.
Good focus on ripe fruit—a lot of ripe fruit—smooth, very approachable, medium body. This is New World/Dundee Hills/here’s-the-fruit style, not etherial whimsy pinot noir also can achieve; acidity means it will pair with many foods; blackened salmon leaps to mind. Stoller is Dundee Hills stalwart; the family purchased the property in 1943 and established the vineyard in 1993; today they have the largest contiguous vineyard in the Dundee Hills and the fruit for their wines is 100% estate grown. Stoller was the first winery in the world to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification, attesting to their pursuit of sustainability and environmentally friendly management of the land. Stoller was named 2014 Northwest Winery of the Year by Wine Press Northwest. Winemaker Melissa Burr has been at Stoller since 2003. Burr says the challenge at Stoller is to control the vigor of the site in order to concentrate flavors. She strongly believes acidity plays key role in balance and flavor, and this effort clearly reflects that admirable commitment and attention. The Dundee Hills are located southwest of Portland, OR, beside the Willamette River. Lovely country, ecological responsible wine maker, very nice wine. $25-30
Stoller website
Second photo: Winemaker Melissa Burr
