Wine Review: Van Duzer Vineyards pinot noir outpaces others

With apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan, we have always considered ourselves “the lord high executioners of pinot noir.” There is no wine of which we are more critical of than a pinot noir. 

Unfortunately, we do not "collect scalps” and do not expound on wines we find wanting because print space is so dear. You may hate what we like and like what we hate. We prefer to tell our readers about the wines we find worthy and one of the most worthy of all the American pinot noirs comes from Van Duzer Vineyards in Oregon.

Van Duzer Vineyards is in tune with the 21st century trend of specialization by concentrating on only two varieties, pinot noir and pinot gris. The Van Duzer winemaker is Florent-Pierre Merlier, a genuine Frenchman, wine educated in Burgundy and totally familiar with the ins and outs of making wine from both the pinot noir and pinot gris grapes. Whether it is the soil, the grapes, the weather or the winemakers' fine hand, Van Duzer wines are not only good, they are incredible.

Van Duzer 2013 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Rose ($18)

To make a rose wine from a red grape, it is necessary to crush the grapes and remove the color forming skins as soon as possible leaving the must – unfermented grape juice – with just a slight pink color. Please do not think the skins of superb pinot noir grapes go to waste, they do not. The skins are added to other pinot noir ferments to deepen the color and add more layers of flavor. 

The Van Duzer 2013 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Rose is a giant step backward to a time when rose wines were made to honor a vineyard and not, as is often the case today, as an afterthought.

The aroma is filled with scents of strawberries and cranberries, with pomegranates quietly waiting in the background, which then follow through to the flavor and continue on to the long, and fruit-packed finish. 

This wine gives new respect and stature to a style of wine that has too long been neglected. If we scored this wine with number as some do, on a 1 to 10 scale, we give this wine a 24.

Van Duzer Homestead Block 2011 Pinot Noir ($55) 

If you seek the creme de la creme, the best of the best, the epitome in pinot noirs, this is it. All too often our American pinot noirs are compared to the megabuck French Burgundies. Well, you can stop the rivalry here and now; in our opinion, we win. Yes, the wine is expensive, but so is a Mercedes, and if you want the best, it will cost you. This wine is more than worth its price. 

When the wine is poured the intense aromas of black cherry, herbs and pepper balanced with notes of violet, toasty oak, spice and vanilla rise from the glass. The first sip exposes the flavors of cherry, red currant, plum and raisins being the most prominent. 

There are also other flavors laying in the background with oak and an earthy mushroom flavor being the most obvious. These flavors trail off to a soft, almost jammy, fruit-filled finish that is longer than long. 

The wine is drinkable now or can be left to age for as long as five years. Needless to say, this wine impressed us, and we can assure you we have several bottles tucked away in our library.

Van Duzer 2013 Estate Pinot Gris ($18)

This excellent wine displays pale straw color and an aroma reminiscent of summer wild flowers and fresh Bosc pears. 

On the palate, the wine is almost totally dry, but the expansive fruit flavors give the impression of sweetness. The Van Duzer 2013 Estate Pinot Gris also displays a moderately long and flavorful finish. This is the wine for those who prefer their pinot gris in the classical Italian style.