It was truly a pleasure to taste side by side with winemaker Chris Fladwood. Soter was founded by Tony and Michelle Soter more than a decade ago. The Soter Vineyard is certified biodynamic and was planted to 15 acres of Pinot Noir in 2002 and 2003, and an additional 15 acres in 2006. Two acres of Chardonnay were included in the 2006 plantings which are used for their sparkling wine production. Small extension blocks have been added over the years to grow their total production to 40 acres. They are making some of the most elegant and nuanced sparkling wines that you will taste in North America.
Fladwood has a fantastic career in wine. After serving our country in the US Army, Fladwood worked harvests in New Zealand as well as Bordeaux. He became Soter cellar master in 2009 and has worked his way to the winemaker position. “I try to make nuanced wine” said Fladwood. He certainly does, even in more overt vintages such as 2021. These are wines with excellent poise but also good mid-palate depth and concentration. They age exceedingly well.
I was totally enamored by the 2016 Soter ‘Mineral Springs Blanc de Noirs Micha’ Sparkling Wine (OB, 97) which is a tribute to the late Michelle Soter. This wine has so much flavor complexity and is the best Oregon Sparkling Wine I have tasted in the past year. Learn more about this famed Oregon producer at http://sotervineyards.com/ Here are the beautiful new wines by Soter Vineyard
2023 Planet Oregon Rose Sparkling Wine- The 2023 Planet Oregon Rose Sparkling Wine is a bit at only 23 bucks retail. Sourced from a range of organically farmed vineyards, this delivers salted red fruits alongside kumquat rind on the palate. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2023 Planet Oregon Pinot Noir- The 2023 Planet Oregon Pinot Noir is a forward and juicy wine with bright Bing cherry and strawberry notes alongside salty soils and light peat moss notes. Drink 2025-2030- 90
MV Soter ‘Estates Brut Reserve 1st edition’ Sparkling Wine- The MV Soter ‘Estates Brut Reserve 1st edition’ Sparkling Wine has some reserve wines from 2011 as well as 2012 and 2013 blended in. This is a big and dense edition of this wine, showing loads of orchard fruits alongside lemon rind and suggestions of pastry crust on the palate. Drink 2025-2033- 94
MV Soter ‘Estates Brut Reserve 4th edition’ Sparkling Wine- This has a 202i0 vintage base, as well as reserve wines. This has a silky mousse, offering Meyer lemon rind and suggestions of white peach alongside salty nuances on the palate. Refined and elegant, enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2025-2035- 94
2017 Soter ‘Mineral Springs Blanc de Blancs’ Sparking Wine- The 2017 Soter ‘Mineral Springs Blanc de Blancs’ Sparking Wine is rich and layered, showing great kumquat and lemon rind flavors with salty/nutty nuance alongside green apple flavors. Elegant and smooth throughout the drinking experience, this is drinking marvelously now. Drink 2025-2035- 95
2016 Soter ‘Mineral Springs Blanc de Noirs Micha’ Sparkling Wine- A totally dazzling wine that is amongst the finest you will taste in Oregon, the 2016 ‘Micha’ is a tribute wine to Oregon wine pioneer Michelle Soter. A mesmerizing wine, this sat on the less for eight years prior to disgorgement in February 2025. This is weightless and smooth throughout the drinking experience, with serious texture and yeasty character from the less exposure. Toasted walnut combines with orange zest and dense melon fruits. Drink 2025-2038- 97
2021 Soter ‘Mineral Springs’ Brut Rose- A crazy good new sparkling wine, the 2021 Soter ‘Mineral Springs’ Brut Rose is lush and rich on the mouth with a silky mousse. This is loaded with minerality, yet is silky on the mid-palate. Mandarin orange zest and shades of cranberry with Yakima cherry all combine on the palate. Very complex and delicious, with a bright sense of tension and salinity, this is a marvelous effort that has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2025-2038- 95
2019 Soter ‘Estates’ Chardonnay- The brilliant 2019 Soter ‘Estates’ Chardonnay is a stunning wine that is showing brilliantly right now. Rich melon and citrus fruits combine with sourdough bread and suggestions of toasted hazelnut on the palate. Dense and rich with serous tension, this is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2025-2035- 95
2022 Soter ‘Estates’ Chardonnay- The 2022 ‘Estates’ has fruit from both the X Novo and Mineral Springs Ranch blended in. The reduction from the X Novo is really showing brilliantly right now. Crushed wet rock and rich melon fruits combine with shades of lemon rind on the nose. The palate is lush and rich on the tongue, with serious texture and underling tension. The wine has gobs of mouth-watering acidity and has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2025-2040- 95
2021 Soter ‘Mineral Springs White Label’ Chardonnay- The 2021 Soter ‘Mineral Springs White Label’ Chardonnay is a rich and beautifully-textured wine that has a long life ahead of it. Key lime and salted nectarine flavors combine with nutty nuances on the palate. Very nuanced and geeky, enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2025-2035- 95
2018 Soter ‘Estates’ Pinot Noir- A library selection, the 2018 ‘Estates’ Pinot Noir is salty and savory — still quite primary in its evolution. Bright guava and raspberry notes combine with shades of salty soils and damp earth on the palate. Beautifully-textured, with plenty of tension and weight, this is in a great spot right now. Drink 2025-2035- 94
2023 Soter ‘Estates’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from their three estate vineyards, the 2023 ‘Estates’ Pinot Noir opens with great red florals on the nose alongside kumquat zest and shades of cardamom. The palate is dense and lush with a silky mouthfeel and plenty of verve. This is going to age gracefully for decades. Drink 2025-2040- 95
2023 Soter ‘Tarren’ Pinot Noir- The outstanding 2023 Soter ‘Tarren’ Pinot Noir comes from vines set on rocky Nekkia soils. This has marvelous non-fruit character wth crushed wet rock alongside wild blackberry and boysenberry notes. Beautifully-textured and stony, with loads of nuance and salinity, enjoy now and over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2025-2040- 95
2015 Soter ‘Mineral Springs Ranch’ Pinot Noir- A joy to consume now, the 2015 Soter ‘Mineral Springs Ranch’ Pinot Noir shows gorgeous red and dark florals on the nose. The flavor density is outstanding, as this is loaded with dense red and dark fruits alongside a bright sense of salinity and tension. Still quite primary despite its age, this has at least another decade in front of it. Drink 2025-2035- 95
2023 Soter ‘Mineral Springs Ranch’ Pinot Noir- The 2023 Soter ‘Mineral Springs Ranch’ Pinot Noir is a lush, generous and also very nervy wine that has a long way to go in the cellar. On the nose this takes on gorgeous red florals that combines with orange zest, scorched earth and shades of bergamot. The palate is dense and refined as this glides throughout the drinking experience. A gorgeous wine from a great vintage, enjoy now and over the next fifteen plus years to come. Drink 2025-2042- 96