Van Duzer Estate Pinot Gris

Van Duzer Estate Pinot Gris is shaped by one of Oregon's most dramatic natural phenomena: the Van Duzer Corridor, a gap in the Coast Range through which cool Pacific air funnels each afternoon during the growing season. That relentless airflow moderates temperatures, extends hang time, and gives the estate's fruit a tension and precision uncommon in the broader Willamette Valley. The 2025 vintage shows that signature cool-climate character — luminous straw-gold in the glass, layered aromatics, and a clean backbone that keeps the richness in check. The Van Duzer estate sits squarely in the path of the corridor's wind, and the family has farmed here since the 1990s with an eye toward letting site expression drive the wines. Pinot Gris vines thrive in the estate's volcanic and sedimentary soils, which contribute a stony minerality beneath the ripe fruit. The approach in the cellar is gentle — whole-cluster pressing, cool fermentation in stainless steel, and minimal intervention to preserve the varietal's waxy texture and floral aromatics. The result is a wine that speaks more to place than to winemaking. The nose opens with ripe pear, white peach, and honeydew melon, threaded through with ginger, white blossom, and a subtle waxy richness. On the palate the wine is medium to full bodied, with a creamy roundness balanced by bracing acidity. Flavors of ripe apple, poached pear, and citrus pith unfold alongside gentle spice and a mineral undercurrent that anchors the wine and extends the finish. Pair it with halibut crudo, roast chicken with herbs, or a chilled seafood tower — the texture can handle richness, and the acidity cuts through fat. It drinks well young but has the structure to hold a year or two in bottle. In stock at Off Premise in Lincoln Park.