It is my pleasure to share one of the greats from the Anderson Valley. Truly one of the most beautiful spots in the Anderson Valley, for years I have loved the wines by Goldeneye, a Duckhorn venture located in Philo, California. Kristin McMcMahan serves as Goldeneye winemaker. Originally from California's Central Valley, in 2012, Kristen moved to Sonoma County to dedicate herself to wine full time. In addition to joining the winemaking team at Korbel, where she spent six years honing her skills working with sparkling wine and Pinot Noir, she began studying at Santa Rosa Junior College, where she earned an Associate of Science degree in enology. Kristen also gained invaluable experience with cool-climate Pinot Noir working for Joseph Phelps’s Freestone Winery on the Sonoma Coast.
The new wines were beautiful across the board. A outstanding entry level wine, the 2022 Goldeneye ‘Anderson Valley’ Pinot Noir (OB, 92) which is drinking beautifully now in its heady youth. Learn more about these outstanding Pinot Noirs at https://www.goldeneyewinery.com Here are the great new releases by Goldeneye.
2021 Goldeneye ‘Brut Rose’ Sparkling Wine- The 2021 Goldeneye ‘Brut Rose’ Sparkling Wine comes off polished and fresh with saline drenched peaches and pear notes alongside suggestions of wet rock and diatomaceous earth on the palate. Enjoy now. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2022 Goldeneye ‘Anderson Valley’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 ‘Anderson Valley’ Pinot Noir comes from a range of sites throughout the valley. Tart red fruits mingle well with salty soils, alongside dried herbs on the palate. Densely packed, with bright underlying acidity, this is an amazing wine in a difficult vintage. Drink 2025-2032- 93
2022 Goldeneye ‘Gowan Creek’ Pinot Noir- Coming from this cooler site in a warm vintage, the 2022 Goldeneye ‘Gowan Creek’ Pinot Noir offers plump red fruits that mingle well with salty and loamy soils on the palate. Fresh and generous, offering tangerine peel accents, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2025-2035- 94
2022 Goldeneye ‘Confluence Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The outstanding 2022 Goldeneye ‘Confluence Vineyard’ Pinot Noir comes from this estate location in the Anderson Valley. It shows off the warmth of the vintage, offering heady dark fruits that mingle well with fresh sage and gravel accents on the palate. Fat and broad-shouldered on the mouth, enjoy this beauty now and over the next fifteen years. Drink 2025-2040- 94
2022 Goldeneye ‘Ten Degrees’ Pinot Noir- The scintillating 2022 ‘Ten Degrees’ is a barrel selection wine by Goldeneye. It is dense, heady and has marvelous richness and texture. Decadent loganberry and strawberry fruit flavors collide with sandy/salty soils, wet rock, menthol and shades of cardamom on the palate. Fresh and lively with serious flavor density, enjoy now and over the next fifteen to twenty years to come. Drink 2025-2042- 96