On the Edge of Excellence at Stoller
Founding winemaker Melissa Burr reflects on how intention, investment and teamwork have elevated Stoller’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to their most expressive form yet.
After years of living on the edge, Stoller founding winemaker Melissa Burr has delivered some of the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Oregon.
Pinot Noir remains the ultimate test. Transparent and finicky, it reflects every choice and every challenge of a given year.
“It’s always on the edge,” Burr said. “Too hot, too cold, rain, ripeness…you take chances.”
That tension is part of Oregon’s identity, where discovery is built into the process. Today, thanks to years of collective effort, Stoller’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are showing their best versions yet.
“So much collective work has gone into those wines,” Burr said. “We keep improving because we’re a team that’s willing to try new things.”
At this stage, Stoller’s wines aren’t about chasing trends; they’re about refinement, consistency and letting vineyards speak more clearly than ever.
That clarity comes from scale with intention. Major investments in 2015 and 2017 expanded Stoller’s production facilities, adding space and technology that ultimately sharpened decision-making.
“It always comes down to fruit sourcing,” Burr said. “The elevated packaging on the green label helps tell the story of what is in the glass from those incredible vineyards. The white label, the Stoller Willamette wines we’ve made in the same style as estate wines. But we source from all across the Willamette and can really scale them. That wine uses a larger facility to accommodate the expansion.”
