Dusky Goose

John and Linda Carter are native Oregonians who established Rambouillet Vineyard in the Dundee Hills in 2001, founding Dusky Goose the following year. Their conviction was that Oregon could produce Pinot Noir to rival anywhere in the world, and they wanted a site that spoke with both power and finesse.

Lynn Penner-Ash — Oregon’s first female head winemaker and one of the most respected names in the state — was the founding winemaker, and the style she established still defines the wines: generous and textural, with real structure and ageability.

The winery has deliberately stayed small. Chardonnay came later, along with additional vineyard sources. Andrew Imboden now leads winemaking, having joined in 2024 as assistant winemaker and been named head winemaker in 2026. His path started in the vineyard with hands-on work in Indiana and North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley, followed by more than seven years at Alexana in Newberg, where he rose from enologist to assistant winemaker.

Three Dundee Hills vineyards form a natural amphitheater around the tasting room: Rambouillet, Lillie’s, and Weber, all farmed by longtime vineyard manager Andy Humphrey. They sit in the same volcanic Jory soils just steps apart, and each produces something distinct depending on elevation, aspect, and clone. Lillie’s, planted in 2000 on south-facing slopes between 300 and 500 feet, is planted exclusively to Dijon 115. Fennwood Vineyard in Yamhill-Carlton, planted in 2008, adds marine sedimentary character and a broader clonal mix.

The tasting is a seated comparison flight of current and library releases, with vintages sometimes spanning a decade or more, and the selection rotates. Guests are handed a portfolio covering all four vineyards, then poured three Pinots at once to taste side by side rather than in sequence — a small structural choice that makes the differences obvious.

The open-air, four-season veranda looks across the Willamette Valley, with Mount Jefferson visible on clear days. Guided vineyard walks through Rambouillet and Lillie’s are available.