If you’re at all familiar with our tastes here, you know how much we love Pinot Noir. Well, our wine of the week is a wonderful Oregon Pinot, Van Duzer Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley.

This wine delivers on the reasons Pinot is a favorite. From the dark fruit aromas to the luscious feel in your mouth when you take a sip to the rich flavors of black cherry and crisply acidic finish, it’s all Pinot Noir and it shows off why Oregon is America’s Burgundy.

Like Burgundy, there is the complexity that Pinot is known for, but also there’s the All-American emphasis on letting the fruitiness lead the taste experience.

You can enjoy it with everything from salmon to pork tenderloin, chicken to veal.

Van Duzer is also a fully sustainable grower and grows every grape that goes into this estate wine.

That’s a lot of attention for a Pinot Noir priced at about twenty eight dollars.

Pop the Cork™.

Wine on the Radio – February 27, 2009

Winemaker’s Notes:
Our 2006 Estate Pinot Noir is drawn from seven Pinot Noir clones, each contributing to the whole. The deep purple robe of this wine gives an initial indication of the depth of this exceptional vintage. A complex nose of black cherry, cocoa, tobacco and spice introduces flavors that coat the mouth with deep, ripe fruit. A structure of balanced acidity and soft, integrated tannins extends the harmony in a rich, long finish.

Pacific breezes embrace Van Duzer Vineyards with their cooling effect as they enter the Willamette Valley through the Van Duzer Corridor. The Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris varietals planted on our hillside vineyards are the first to benefit each summer evening from the cool west wind that stamps our 100% estate wines with a bright fruit character, complexity and pleasing balance that is more like the wines of Burgundy than the Russian River, Sonoma or Napa Valley.

Our family winery practices sustainable farming and has been endorsed by internationally recognized LIVE (Low Impact Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe.

Notes on our Wines of the Week, Recommendations, and Picks:

When you read our thoughts, please remember that you may think differently. A particular wine may be your favorite and not on our list. Well, don't stop buying it because of that. In fact, you may want to EMAIL us and let us know about it. These are our opinions but our FIRST recommendation is to go by your own palate.

A couple of other thoughts . . . first, prices are approximate. They'll vary. Second, different vintages mean different grapes and different tastes so our recommendation for a 2000 Merlot may not hold for 2001.

And lastly, we remind you to drink responsibly! Now, all that said, here is a summary of links to our suggestions. Find one (or more) and pop the cork!

Read the fine print . . .

Wine consumption can have positive physical benefits or cause possible physical harm . . . the medical community is divided in some areas. If you have any doubt, check with your doctor before consuming wine or any other alcoholic drink.

Our information is well researched. Recommendations are based on our opinions at the time of publication. At the same time, recommendations change. Also, there may be significant variance in taste depending on storage, shipping, and other factors.

The Wine Experience is not liable or responsible for any consequences arising from the use of the information obtained from winexperience.com, wineexp.com or The Wine Experience radio show.

The Wine Experience is intended for adults (over 21 years old). Drink responsibly and don't drink and drive!