Stardance is 00 Wines’ single-vineyard Pinot Noir expression from the Yamhill-Carlton District, one of Oregon’s most prized appellations for this variety, situated in the northern portion of the Willamette Valley where Jurassic sedimentary soils and a slightly warmer, more sheltered microclimate produce Pinot Noir of distinctive depth and structure. The wine sits above the VGR blend in the 00 Wines hierarchy, representing a specific site rather than the multi-vineyard approach of the flagship red. Pierre Millemann’s Burgundian consultancy shapes the minimal-intervention approach applied here.

The 2022 Stardance was produced in the extraordinary miracle vintage that defined the whole Willamette Valley season: spring frosts killed the primary shoots across large swaths of the valley before secondary buds recovered to deliver a smaller, intensely concentrated crop with naturally high acidity. For a single-site wine of the Stardance’s ambition, the reduction in crop load translated directly into greater fruit precision and mineral depth. Vinous’s Eric Guido described the 2022 as “dusty and floral... lavender, green olive and exotic spice,” characterising it as “silken and seamless, savory as well, with waves of tart wild berry fruits... beautifully balanced yet still has a lot more to say.”

The Stardance has established a consistent critical profile across recent vintages, with scores in the 94 to 95 range from Vinous acknowledging the wine’s distinctive character and exceptional structure for its tier within the 00 Wines portfolio. The magnum format is particularly well-suited to the 2022’s structural ambition: the vintage’s tightly wound, concentrated nature benefits from the slower, more even development that large formats provide, making the 1.5L presentation a compelling collector choice for patient cellaring.

Dusty and floral with notes of lavender, ashen stone, green olive and exotic spice, evolving in the glass to reveal tart wild berry fruit and a saline mineral thrust. Silken and seamless on the palate with brisk acidity and fine coating tannins, the finish is long and tactile with notes of licorice and tart blackberry. Best from 2026 through 2036.

Dusty and floral, opening with a coy blend of flowery underbrush and ashen stone before evolving with notes of lavender, green olive and exotic spice. Silken and seamless, savory as well, with waves of tart wild berry fruits swirling across a steady stream of brisk acidity. Beautifully balanced yet still has a lot more to say.  — Vinous