"The Goose" Lays Golden '04

The Dusky Goose is rare, and so is the wine that shares its name. Of the many Oregon Pinots released each year, this is one of the rare "Golden" wines of the vintage.

The 2004's seductive, sexy flavors demand attention.
When we first tasted the wine, Marcus was determined to get out the door early, but there he was, well after closing, still enjoying the Dusky '04, stopped in his tracks by this hedonistic Pinot noir. It's concentrated, lush, and sophisticated, with a long, long, finish and an uplifting freshness.

Full-bodied, yet sumptuously complex, the wine has the Dundee Hills Vineyard's (also known as the Goldschmidt Vineyard) characteristic candied fruit and dried cherry notes, along with glorious layers of lush black cherries and berries, and hints of dried lavender, dried orange zest, and a high note in both nose and flavor of intensely sweet and concentrated dried fruit. The balance is so good, the wine should cellar well for more than ten years.

Dusky Goose Pinot noir 2004 $44.51/$49.45
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Dusky-Goose-wine.html
Color: Garnet, with hints of dark purple, opaque and dark.

Nose: Very rich scent is present immediately upon opening the bottle. Scents are primarily of candied black cherry, black raspberry, black cherry liqueur, and strawberry, with an undercurrent of toasted cocoa bean. Marcus says it's like experiencing a fresh strawberry covered with dark chocolate.

Hints of dried lavender, dried cherry, dried herbs, and a tiny hint of fresh earth are present in this vibrant wine. There's a freshness to the nose that is characteristic of the 2004 vintage.

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Flavors: Layers of fresh fruit explode in the mouth. A plush, deep core of black cherry and black raspberry is entwined with layers of ripe red raspberry, hints of fresh strawberry, seamlessly integrated sweet vanilla bean, spicy plum, and dried cherry fruit ( characteristic of the vineyard).

Finish: The finish just keeps rolling out, offering transparent layers of red and black fruit and silky tannins with notes of toasted cocoa bean, espresso bean, sweet vanilla, cedar, fresh tobacco, and essence of rose.

Balance: Tannins are very supple and well integrated, there's a fresh, uplifting quality to the acidity, and the fruit flavors reappear over and over with ultrarich cherry, black cherry, and dried cherry flavors, intensifying with more exposure to air.

The Vintage - 2004 compared to 2003: In a side-by-side tasting of the 2003 and 2004 Dusky Goose over the course of a couple days, both wines showed extraordinary development and complexity. Both 2003 and 2004 are powerful wines, juicy and multilayered, with the vineyard's characteristic dried red cherry quality. The 2003 shows more of a dark fruit profile in the nose, flavors, and finish, with black cherry and black raspberry dominating. The medium to full-bodied 2004 has that vibrant, uplifting freshness characteristic of the 2004 vintage, and more red as well as black fruit flavors. In the 2004, the layered flavors are easier to discern- there's a sense of transparency catalysed by refreshing acidity. More hints of lavender, roses, herbs, and chocolate are present in the 2004. Both wines are quite cellarworthy, with the 2004 having a slightly longer potential life.

When to Drink:The 2004 is lovely now, especially with an hour or so of decanting. In 6 months to a year, the wine will be much better integrated, so patience will be rewarded. The wine's combination of vibrant, uplifting acidity balanced with sumptuous, lush, sweet fruit shows all the signs of aging well for over ten years.

What to serve with it: Vitaly Paley, of Portland, Oregon's Paley's Place, suggests Herb stuffed Rack of Lamb or Braised Beef Brisket, just click to see the recipes. Vitaly is the James Beard Foundation's "Best Chef in the Pacific Northwest" for 2005 and is in NYC this month guest-chefing at several restaurants.

The Dusky Goose Pinot is one of our most anticipated releases each year. We've strained to recall a wine that generated as much positive feedback from you, the customer, as the 2003 Dusky Goose Pinot. Come to think of it, we had a similar customer response to the 2002 Dusky Goose. We think you'll find the amazing 2004 Dusky Goose Pinot Noir as good or better as previous vintages, and a wine you'll want to drink now and cellar for special occasions across the next 12 years.

Made by Lynn Penner Ash, who says:
" The 2004 Dusky Goose Dundee Hills
demonstrates layered elegance,
a bounty of lush fruit and focused acidity. "

Last Chance for Dusky Goose 2003

Last chance to get Dusky Goose 03- after Friday, June 2, any wine left goes to the winery's library. If it's ever released again, it will be at a higher price. If you loved this wine, now's the time to refill the cellar before it's too late!

Dusky Goose Pinot noir 03 $43.16/$47.95
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Dusky-Goose-Pinot-noir.html

If we may help with an order, please let us know. We're available by phone at 541-752-7418 from 8AM Pacific time until 6PM Pacific time.

Thanks for your support -we appreciate your orders and your suggestions.
Our customers always give us our best ideas!

Marcus, Jean, Chris, Kevin, and Wendy
541-752-7418

Avalon Wine
201 SW 2nd Street
Corvallis OR 97333
541-752-7418
www.avalonwine.com
store@avalonwine.com

Marcus Looze
Manager
marcus@avalonwine.com
541-752-7418

Chris Haggerty
Customer Service
store@avalonwine.com
541-752-7418

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