Perhaps it’s because of seasonal bounty like squash, mushrooms and pomegranates, or maybe it's the crisp chill in the air, but autumn and Pinot Noir are a fantastic match. This week’s Tasting Highlights features new Pinot Noir releases from California and Oregon, offering a range of styles for any autumnal occasion.
Starting in Oregon and its acclaimed Willamette Valley, Van Duzer gets its name from the windy Van Duzer Corridor AVA, though the winery was founded in 1998, well before the subregion gained appellation status. When founding the winery, Carl and Marilynn Thoma saw the potential of this cool-weather area; but for this wine, they tapped vines farther north in Dundee Hills, resulting in a finely structured and sleek red with lovely cherry and cranberry flavors.
This lineup also includes Willakenzie's Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2022, an elegantly structured red with red fruit and floral notes. Read on to get our score and full expert tasting note for this fantastic West Coast Pinot Noir and six others.
Tasting Highlights' wine reviews are fresh out of the tasting room, offering a sneak peek of our editors' most recent ratings—including scores and full tasting notes—to WineSpectator.com members.
Member-Only Content
Premium SubscriptionJoin today and get immediate access to this article, and to our entire database of more than 400,000 wine ratings. It only takes moments—but it will help you drink better all year long.
Already a member? Sign In
Try Winespectator.com Free for 30 Days!
Full access to our database of more than 425,000 wine ratings
Early access to reviews on our editors' favorite just-rated wines
Wine and food pairing tool,
chefs' pairing recommendations
Best value wines and winery intel
Subscribe today
