northern Willamette Valley, where a combination of Jurassic sedimentary soils, slightly warmer temperatures and well-drained slopes creates conditions for Pinot Noir of distinctive floral character, structural grip and mineral depth. For 00 Wines, the Stardance represents the single-site expression immediately above the VGR blend and below the ultra-prestige Richard Hermann Cuvée Pinot Noir, produced using the same terra cotta amphorae vinification and minimal-intervention approach that governs the whole red wine programme.

The 2023 vintage across the Willamette Valley was characterised by a measured, balanced growing season that lacked the dramatic recovery narrative of the miraculous 2022 but produced wines of exceptional clarity and freshness. Winemakers across the Yamhill-Carlton District noted that 2023 was a vintage that encouraged earlier approachability while retaining the structural precision expected of the best sites. For the Stardance, this translated into a wine of medium body, fine tannins and a distinctively mineral, flinty aromatic profile that James Suckling’s team described as approachable but rewarding patience in bottle.

James Suckling reviewed the 2023 Stardance with a tasting note describing “matchstick, flint and black-cherry aromas… medium-bodied with firm, fine tannins and a lightly chewy finish,” advising two to three years of ageing for optimal development. The wine’s aggregate critical score on wine-searcher for the 2023 vintage sits at 94 points, consistent with the Stardance’s trajectory of strong single-site scores across recent vintages. The Yamhill-Carlton District’s identity within the Willamette Valley continues to strengthen as producers demonstrate its consistent ability to deliver Pinot Noir of considerable structure and individuality.

A translucent ruby with a distinctive nose of struck match, flint, black cherry, dried strawberry and iodine. Medium-bodied on the palate with firm, fine tannins and a lightly chewy texture, the fruit is bright and precise with a cool, mineral finish of clean acidity. Give it two to three years for the elements to integrate fully; best from 2026 through 2033.