2012 Dusky Goose Pinot Noir

Dusky Goose is a limited production Pinot Noir producer in the Dundee Hills. It was started by the Carter and Lundgren families, and Lynn Penner-Ash is winemaker. John and Linda Carter are Oregon natives and John is Chairman of the Board at Schnitzer Steel Industries in Portland. Tamara and John Lundgren live in Connecticut, and Tamara is President and Chief Executive Officer of Schnitzer Steel Industries. Lynn Penner-Ash is a veteran winemaker whose resume includes winemaking at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Domaine Chandon and Chateau St. Jean. In 1988 she moved to Oregon to make wine at Rex Hill Vineyards and in 1998 opened her own winery with her husband. Dusky Goose makes Pinot Noir and a small amount of Chardonnay.

Dundee Hills AVA is in Yamhill County, and it is entirely contained within the Willamette Valley AVA, Oregon’s best known appellation. Dundee Hills is about 30 miles southwest of Portland, and has 1,300 vineyard acres. It was awarded AVA status in 2004 and, like much of Oregon, is known for Pinot Noir. Several of Oregon’s 20th century wine pioneers established their vineyards and wineries in Dundee Hills, adding to its status as a region long-recognized for producing high quality, iconic Oregon wines. Eyrie Vineyards, Erath Winery and Sokol Blosser remain some of Oregon’s most celebrated producers, and all were founded in what is now Dundee Hills in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.