Statera Johan Vineyard

If there is one white wine varietal that is beloved in the United States more than any other grape, it could be argued that Chardonnay is it.

And while California has been known to produce some of the country’s most compelling expressions of the wine, the Pacific Northwest is quickly changing that conversation. 

Statera Cellars Chardonnay, Johan Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2015

Statera Cellars is owned and operated by two friends – Meredith Bell and Luke Wylde. 

The two Oregon pioneers are on a winemaking mission to produce pristine Chardonnay from some of the most highly-regarded vineyard sites in the Willamette Valley. 

Statera focuses exclusively on single-vineyard Chardonnay from sites such as Corral Creek, Anderson Family Vineyard, Belle Pente Vineyard and Johan Vineyard.  

Wine made from the Johan Vineyard is certified organic (as is all Statera wine) and demeter-certified biodynamic as well.

The vineyard itself is planted on silt loam soils with cooling benefits from the Van Duzer Corridor.

Johan's position in the Valley allows for ideal solar exposure during the day and crisp temperatures at night, so as to allow the grapes to preserve their natural acidity.

The resulting wine, which is fermented using natural yeasts, is much akin to Premier Cru Chablis, with notes of golden apples, crispy minerals and hints of cream on the finish.

Codey and I have a deep love affair with this wine and hold it in extremely high regard, along with a few other Chardonnay bottling's in the store.

“People ask me all the time, ‘What is the best bottle of Chardonnay in the store right now?’ 99% of the time I’m split between Liquid Farm Ancona’s Cuvée and Statera Johan Vineyard,” Codey says.

I’m pretty excited to be able to offer up an Oregon Chardonnay for you this week and I’m even more excited that it’s the Statera Johan Vineyard.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions regarding this wine. 

Cheers!

-Carey Vanderborg, Wine Specialist