Producer earns critical recognition for its single-vineyard wines sourced from Chehalem Mountain Vineyard, one of Oregon’s oldest and most storied sites
May 12, 2026 (Carlton, OR) — 00 Wines has been recognized by Decanter magazine as one of Oregon’s defining producers working with old-vine fruit, earning 97 points for its 2023 Chehalem Mountain Vineyard Chardonnay and 95 points for its 2023 Chehalem Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir in the publication’s May 2026 Oregon feature, “Oregon’s Origins.”
The Chehalem Mountain Vineyard, now owned and farmed by Cooper Mountain Vineyards, was planted in 1969 by Oregon wine pioneer Dick Erath, making it the third vineyard established in the Willamette Valley. Situated on steep volcanic soils in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, the site’s vines represent some of the oldest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir plantings in the state. 00 Wines exclusively sources fruit from the remaining three acres of the original 1969 block for its single-vineyard Pinot Noir.
“Working with this heritage fruit is a true honour,” said Chris Hermann, founder of 00 Wines. “We ferment this Pinot Noir 100% in Italian terracotta amphorae from Tuscany, after the berries have been destemmed by hand. The fermentation is semi-carbonic. This old-vine wine is aromatic, pretty, lifted — and not as concentrated as one would expect from older vines, which makes this block very special.”
The Chehalem Mountain Vineyard Chardonnay was produced using 00 Wines’ signature “Black Chardonnay” approach, a cellar method inspired by historic Burgundian practices that emphasizes texture, savory complexity, and structure through careful oxidative élevage and minimal intervention early in the winemaking process.
The Decanter feature charts the legacy of the Willamette Valley’s foundational vineyard sites — those planted in the late 1960s and early 1970s, before appellation boundaries or commercial certainty existed. The piece positions 00 Wines alongside a small group of producers whose work directly engages with that founding generation of viticulture.
Cooper Mountain Vineyards acquired Chehalem Mountain Vineyard in 2021, continuing the site’s transition toward certified organic and biodynamic farming. The collaboration with 00 Wines reflects a shared commitment to the site’s historic character and to the old-vine fruit it uniquely produces.
About 00 Wines
Founded in 2015 by Chris and Kathryn Hermann in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Chris is recognized as a pioneer of the Black Chardonnay method in the United States — a revival of an old Burgundian technique that forgoes early sulfur additions and gentle pressing in favor of extended skin contact and oxidative handling, producing Chardonnay of uncommon depth, texture, and longevity. 00 Wines sources fruit from top-tier vineyard sites across the Willamette Valley, with particular focus on old-vine and heritage fruit. Winemaking is led by Director of Global Winemaking Maxence Lecat, whose Burgundian training shapes the wines’ precision and restraint. 00 Wines also produces wine in Burgundy and Champagne. They are based in Carlton, Oregon. www.00wines.com
