COUNTRY :
United States
REGION :
Willamette Valley
PRODUCTION :
Meredith Bell and Luke Wylde
Statera Cellars is owned and operated by two friends, Meredith Bell and Luke Wylde. Their mission is to make delicious, honest Chardonnay from the most distinct vineyards in their region. They are the first winery in the Willamette Valley to exclusively make Chardonnay—they love the grape and want to showcase its potential and diversity in the Pacific Northwest. Their wines are made using natural and traditional winemaking practices, resulting in wines that are compelling and markedly alive. All of their fruit is sourced from vineyards with whom they have long-term contracts with, sometimes empowering these growers to transition to organics, while ensuring that all of the workers associated with their project are paid a living wage.
Both Luke and Meredith make a bit of wine on their own in addition to the wines they coproduce for Statera.
Lares is a form of creative exploration for Luke. This small label gives them the space to lean on what they’ve learned over the years and to create new things because of that experience. Ultimately, they want to make wine in their own way, in a style that’s not dictated by representations of anything but their own curiosity. Working with grapes that are either new to them as a winemaker or using them in ways unfamiliar to my winemaking acumen.
Lares Aligoté
Region: Elkton, Umpqua Valley
Grape: Aligoté
Vineyard Size:
Soil: bateman silt loam
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: half day maceration, spontaneous fermentation in neutral oak barrel with indigenous yeasts, malolactic fermentation
Aging: 6 months in neutral oak barrels
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 25 mg/L
“Imber”
Region: Williamette Valley
Grape: Chardonnay
Vineyard Size:
Soil: volcanic, loam, gravel
Average Age of Vines: 15 years old
Farming: organic, biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: whole cluster pressing, spontaneous fermentation
Aging: 16 months in French Oak barrels
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 40 mg/l
EST. Sparkling
Region: Willamette Valley
Grape: Pinot Noir
Vineyard Size: 4 acres
Soil: jory
Average Age of Vines: 40 years
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: 66% direct press, spontaneous fermentation in neutral oak with indigenous yeasts
Aging: méthode ancestrale
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 20 mg/L
Lares “Wicked Liquid”
Region: Eola Amity Hills, Tualatin Valley
Grape: Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Aligoté
Vineyard Size:
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: direct press, separate, spontaneous fermentation of Pinot Gris and Aligoté in neutral oak with indigenous yeasts, spontaneous co-fermenation of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling in neutral oak with indigenous yeasts, malolactic fermentation
Aging: méthode ancestrale
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 35 mg/L
Lares “Tymora”
Region: Eola Amity Hills, Tualatin Valley
Grape: Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir
Vineyard Size:
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: separate, spontaneous fermentation in neutral oak with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in neutral oak
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 35 mg/L
Lares “Babel”
Region: Elkton
Grape: Pinot Noir, Riesling, Pinot Gris
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, silt loam
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous co-fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in neutral French oak
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 48 mg/L
“Cutis”
Region: Yamhill-Carlton, Eola Amity Hills, Willamette Valley
Grape: Chardonnay Espiguette, Chardonnay Dijon
Vineyard Size:
Soil: willakenzie, ritner, witzel, nekia, jory
Average Age of Vines: 16 years
Farming: biodynamic, organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: 66% destemmed, 33% direct press, spontaneous fermentation on direct press juice in neutral oak with indigenous yeasts, maceration
Aging: 18 months in neutral oak
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 44 mg/L
“Multa”
Region: Van Duzer Corridor, Willamette Valley
Grape: Chardonnay Dijon
Soil: sedimentary, laurelwood
Average Age of Vines: 20 years
Farming: biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: Solera of Johan Vineyard Chardonnay 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, whole cluster, direct press, spontaneous fermentation in neutral oak with indigenous yeasts
Aging: 16 months in neutral oak
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: minimal
Pétillant-Naturel
Region: Willamette Valley
Grape: Chardonnay Espiguette, Chardonnay Dijon
Vineyard Size:
Soil: sedimentary, laurelwood
Average Age of Vines: 30 years
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: whole cluster, direct press, 6 week spontaneous fermentation in neutral oak with indigenous yeasts
Aging: 5 months in neutral oak, sur lie, méthode ancestrale
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
Johan Vineyard Chardonnay
Region: Van Duzer Corridor, Willamette Valley
Grape: Chardonnay Dijon
Soil: silt, loam
Average Age of Vines: 20 years
Farming: biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: whole cluster, direct press, spontaneous fermentation in neutral oak with indigenous yeasts
Aging: 16 months in neutral oak, sur lie
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: minimal
Eola Springs Chardonnay
Region: Willamette
Grape: Chardonnay Mendoza
Vineyard Size: 2 hectares
Soil: marine sediment, silty loam
Average Age of Vines: 37 years
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: whole cluster, direct press, spontaneous fermentation in neutral oak with indigenous yeasts
Aging: 16 months on in neutral oak, sur lie
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 40 mg/L