Denison Cellars Wines
Denison Cellars is focused on creating wines of elegance and balance that reflect the unique
characteristics of the vineyards from which the grapes are sourced.
Chardonnay
We love this subtle white grape and its delicate moods that are drawn out through considerate winemaking. We have several vintages and vineyard sites to choose from, from chablis style to the gentle influence of mostly neutral french oak.
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The 2024 Willamette Valley Chardonnay was crafted using grapes sourced from Stiling Vineyard within the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, featuring a blend comprised of 78% clone 76 and 22% clone 95. The fruit was whole-cluster pressed, followed by fermentation and aging in a stainless steel tank. Fermentation lasted for 89 days, with no malolactic conversion. Bottling was completed on October 21st, 2025.
This Chardonnay presents refined aromas and flavors of lemon meringue, pie crust, key lime, and subtle notes of vanilla bean. The mid-palate offers a smooth, creamy texture that transitions into an extended, harmonious finish.
Serve Willamette Valley Chardonnay lightly chilled with spring or summer dishes. Only 141 cases were made, and twist-off closures are utilized to prevent cork taint.
90 pts - James Suckling
$32.00 / bottle
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The 2023 Stiling Vineyard Chardonnay was produced with clones 95 (92%) and 76 (8%). The fruit was whole-cluster pressed and fermented in a stainless steel tank and aged in French oak barrels (17% new); fermentation took 41 days and malolactic fermentation finished at 78% complete. The wine was blended in May of 2024 and bottled on September 30th of 2024.
This chardonnay features pale golden color and aromas and flavors of key lime pie, vanilla bean, Asian pear and meringue. The mid-palate is creamy and accompanied by supporting acidity that fans out into a long, seamless finish.
92 pts - James Suckling
92 pts - International Wine Report
$45.00 / Bottle
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The 2022 Stiling Vineyard Chardonnay was produced from Dijon clone 95. Stiling Vineyard is located on the east side of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA and features a northeast aspect at elevations between 320 and 380 feet. Soils are primarily basalt, composed of Jory, Witzel, and Ritner series. The fruit was whole-cluster pressed and aged in 100% French oak barrels, 25% of which were new. This chardonnay features notes of vanilla, toast, and pie crust. Flavors of Bosc pear and lemon with hints of graham cracker follow. The mid-palate is crisp and accompanied by a creamy texture that fans out into a long, seamless finish.
92 pts - James Suckling
92 pts - International wine Report
$45.00 / bottle
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Eola Springs Vineyard is located in southern part of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, and we chose a vineyard block that features clone 15. The block features a southwest facing slope between 320 and 390 feet of elevation and consists of deep, well-drained volcanic soils that include Jory with basalt and course fragments. . The vines are tightly spaced at 6’ x 3.5’, which leads to intensely aromatic and flavored fruit. The wine features mineral notes with flavors and aromas of Asian pear, lemon, and lemon-lime. The texture is creamy and is supported by bracing acidity. Malolactic fermentation was allowed to finish so this wine displays great mid-palate volume. This wine is extremely well balanced and features a very long finish.
92 pts - Vinous
94 pts - International Wine Report
$45.00 / bottle -
Our Eola Springs Vineyard Chardonnay is produced from L.I.V.E. certified grapes grown in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. The vineyard is south facing at an elevation of 370 to 400 feet and is planted on volcanic soil; Van Duzer corridor winds cool the vineyard at night, allowing for slow, even ripening. With flavors of Asian pear and meringue, and a hint of stony minerality, this wine is a delightful compliment to Northwest fare.
91 pts - Vinous
91 pts - James Suckling
$45.00 / bottle -
The 2018 Cuvée Denise Chardonnay was produced in a style reminiscent of the fine wines made in Burgundy with fruit harvested from Cassin Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. The fruit was whole-cluster pressed into French oak barrels (one of which was new) where primary fermentation occurred over the next 6 months. All of the wine completed malolactic fermentation, and the lees were lightly stirred every month during aging to add creaminess to the mid-palate texture. The wine displays flavors and aromas of toasty vanilla, crême brulée and lemongrass. The mid-palate has a creamy texture that leads into a long, lingering finish.
Only 24 cases produced.
$75.00 / bottle
Rosé
Our rosé is another fresh expression of Pinot Noir. Light, bright, and delicious, it’s a fun wine to make and an easy wine to drink. Our dark rose pairs well with food, from Thanksgiving dinner, asian fare, chicken, or to just enjoy on the porch in the summertime!
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The 2023 Johnson Ridge Vineyard Rosé of Pinot Noir was produced from fruit harvested specifically for rosé, with a focus on ripe skins and flavors. We cold-soaked the de-stemmed fruit for 4 days prior to allowing fermentation to start to maximie fruit and color extraction. This wine is deep ruby in color, featuring enticing flavors and aromas of dark cherry and black raspberry. The mouthfeel is rich, and the mid-palate fans out into a long, seamless finish. Enjoy this Rosé as a perfect compliment to Northwest fare.
92 pts - Paul Gregutt
$28.00 / Bottle
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is the cornerstone of Denison Cellars. Sourcing from multiple premium vineyard sites, we focus on vineyard expression in our single vineyard wines, and Tim’s best blend in our reserve wines.
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The 2023 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is a blend of 777 and Pommard clones from Domain Verdant, Johnson Ridge, and Björnson vineyards. This wine is garnet in color, with aromas and flavors of earthy cranberry, Bing cherry, and forest floor. Elegant in style, this wine features velvety tannins, with wonderful fruit focus and a long seamless finish.
92 pts - James Suckling
$32.00 / Bottle
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The 2021 Bjornson Vineyard pinot noir displays vibrant red and dark cherry flavors with bright, focused acidity. This un-fined and unfiltered wine is delightful on release, and will age gracefully for 8+ years.
92 pts - James Suckling
93 pts - Jeb Dunnock
94 pts - International Wine Report
$50.00 / bottle
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The 2022 Johnson Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir is a blend of 777 and Pommard clones. This wine displays pale ruby color, with expressive aromas aromas of ripe raspberry and Rainier cherry and a hint of forest floor. Mouth-watering flavors of black raspberry and Rainier cherry follow. This wine displays elegant mid-palate volume, velvety tannins, and a long seamless finish.
92 points - James Suckling
93 points- International Wine Report
$50.00 / bottle
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Tête de Cuvée Pinot Noir is only produced when we are able to create a blend that transcends our single-vineyard wines. While the focus of each single-vineyard bottling is to showcase the vintage and vineyard, the goal with Tête de Cuvée is to create the best blend possible. In the 2019, we have included components from Björnson Vineyard (Eola-Amity Hills AVA), Claygate Vineyard (Ribbon Ridge AVA), and Johnson Ridge Vineyard (Eola-Amity Hills AVA). The resulting wine is multi-layered and refined with rich flavors of Italian plum, dark cherry, and ripe raspberry. Hints of cranberry and river rock add complexity to the blend. This wine displays dense mid-palate volume, velvety tannins, and a long lingering finish. All of the fruit spent two days in a cold-soak to extract color. Fermentation was completed in small, one-ton bins and took between 30 and 36 days to complete. French oak barrels were used for aging, 17% of which were new, and the blend was created and bottled in February 2021, after spending 13 months in barrel.
93 points - purely domestic wine report
94 points - jamessuckling.com
Only 50 cases were produced.
$80.00 / bottle
Other Red Wines
Sometimes you make a wine that’s just different, from Milton-Freewater Rocks District syrah to our Tempranillo ruby port-style dessert wine. Look for our newest offering of Malbec, which we will be bottling in May of 2025!
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Established in 2015, The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater was formed as the Walla Walla River flowed out of the Blue Mountains and deposited in an alluvial fan of cobblestones 100-300 feet deep, resulting in a soil profile that leads to truly unique wines. We used Tablas Creek clone syrah from Ancient Stones Vineyard to produce this wine; the result is inky dark wine with notes of blackberry, cassis, cherry and hints of mineral, cocoa, and earth.
92 pts - James Suckling
93 pts - International Wine Report
$50.00 / bottle
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The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater was formed in The Walla Walla River flowed out of the Blue Mountains and deposited an alluvial fan of cobblestones to 100-300 feet deep. This has resulted in truly unique flavored wines. Our Malbec is full-bodied with velvety tannins, with flavors of blackberry and Italian plum, and notes of leather and spice. It is a great accompaniment with savory grilled meats such as steak and lamb.
92 pts - International wine Report
$45 per bottle
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The 2021 FINI! features Tempranillo from the warmest section of Johnson Ridge Vineyard. Produced in a true Porto style, this wine displays deep ruby color, aromas of marionberry, dark cherry, blackberry preserves, and hints of caramel and vanilla. Mouth-filling flavors of blackberry and black cherry follow, with ripe velvety tannins and medium sweetness rounding out the mid palate. The finish is very long and seems to linger forever; this is the perfect dessert wine to finish a fine dining experience!
92 pts - Vinous
92 pts - Paul Gregutt
$45.00 / bottle
Free local delivery within Yamhill County, Salem, and Portland with any 3+ bottle purchase.