A showcase for black fruit from a celebrated Washington State vineyard planted in 1972—which easily qualifies as an old-vine site in the Pacific Northwest.
Made under the direction of Melissa Burr, longtime winemaker and History founder with Bill Stoller, this shows Stoller can do more than excel at pinot noir. Production limited to 150 cases. $70-75
Bill Stoller founded Stoller Vineyards in 2001. The winery opened in 2006 as Oregon’s first and only LEED-certified, solar-powered, gravity-flow operation. Its commitment to sustainability earned it recognition as the world’s first LEED Gold-certified winery. The winery is dedicated to producing pinot noir and chardonnay. In 2013, Stoller’s winemaker, Melissa Burr, launched the History brand with Stoller, its brand name influenced by Stoller’s mother, the local historian for Yamhill County, Oregon. History is a small-batch brand that emphasizes quality over quantity—although Stoller and Burr also have achieved significant success in quality with quantity in their broader portfolio.
Stoller, who died in 2025 at age 74, was the founder and CEO of The Stoller Group, as well as the president and vice-chairman of very successful employment–service companies. His considerable business success allowed him to pursue his passion for wine in the 1990s with the purchase of his family’s former turkey farm in Dayton, Oregon, with the first Stoller vintage in 2001. Stoller now is one of the Willamette Valley’s most recognizable producers.
Vice president of winemaking Melissa Burr has been at Stoller since 2003. Burr says the challenge at Stoller is to control the vigor of the sites in order to concentrate flavors. She strongly believes acidity plays a key role in balance and flavor; this effort reflects that conviction. Unlike most Stoller wines, this is not from estate-grown fruit. The Stoller-Burr concept was to purchase fruit from old-vine growers across Oregon and Washington State who grow to Stoller guidelines. The Cold Creek Vineyard is an estate vineyard of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.
Today, the Stoller Wine Group brands include Stoller Family Estate, Chehalem, Chemistry, Canned Oregon, and History. The link below leads to more information about their offerings. Stoller is a dependable, easy choice as a go-to producer across their range of bottlings. If you can find this Cold Creek effort, scoop it up.
History Cabernet Sauvignon Cold Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Stoller Wine Group 2022: Deep ruby color; black cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant; brown sugar, chocolate, dried flowers on the nose and palate.
Dry; firm, refined tannins and balancing acidity (3.9 pH). Full body; 100% cabernet sauvignon. The Cold Creek Vineyard is one of the oldest and most storied cabernet vineyards in Washington State. The 2022 vintage experienced one of the coldest, wettest spring seasons in the Pacific Northwest, including a snowstorm in early April that delayed budbreak for several weeks. By June, temperatures began to rise, and warm, dry conditions persisted into October, allowing extended hang time for the fruit and full phenolic ripeness. The wine spent 18 months in French oak (40% new), but the oak is a pleasant presence in the background, not a scene-stealer competing with the lush, delicious black fruit. 14.1% ABV
Pairing—Grilled, pan-seared ribeye, porterhouse steak; roast lamb with rosemary/gralic; braised lamb shanks; beef short ribs, slow-braised beef with reduced, savory jus. Rich burgers with aged cheddar on brioche. Mushroom ragù, grilled portobello steaks. Cheese—Aged cheddar (clothbound, farmhouse, sharp aged) is gold standard. Aged gouda (18-24 months), aged gruyère of comté; aged sheep’s-milk, ossau-iraty style.
