Goldeneye Winery

Pricey wines from a big corporate producer. But the patio is spectacular — and staffing is great. If it is a nice day you need to spend time outside here and sip wines and stare out at the vines. The atmosphere is intoxicating — and that so even before you take your first sip!

We always loved Duckhorn wines, and when we found out Goldeneye was associated, we knew we needed to make a stop!
5 of our 6 tastings were pinots, and they were all amazing. Great outdoor patio where they serve you while you enjoy the beautiful views. This is a MUST VISIT spot, one of our favorites throughout the entire Napa, Sonoma and Anderson Valley. ESPECIALLY if you are a Pinot fan!
$ 15 for a tasting, but if you are staying at a local hotel ask if they have a discount coupon. Regardless, worth the money!

Great wines. Primarily Pinot. Interesting diversity of flavors – some bright and fruity, some dark and brooding, all delicious. Gorgeous setting in Mendocino with redwoods towering in the distance beyond the vines. Service was friendly and knowledgable. As with all Duckhorn wines, they are very proud of themselves when it comes to pricing. Not necessarily good values, but definitely well-​made wines.

4.5 stars rounded up for the best winery of our Anderson Valley trip. Being a part of the Duckhorn family of wineries, Goldeneye exudes a very Napa-​esque vibe compared to the more down-​to-​earth destinations that far and away dominate the region. As such, the estate is beautiful with a stunning view of the surrounding vineyards and hills… and prices to match.
Though there was a premium to be paid, it was very much worth it as the staff took excellent care of us. Noticing that the nose and taste of the pinots was being dampened by the sweltering heat outside, our host was gracious enough to have us move inside and revisit whichever wines we liked. My friends and I also appreciated her pouring some of the reserve pinot to contrast it from the current vintage.
So while the wines were quite good overall with some justifying the steep price point more than others, it was a top notch tasting experience overall and well worth trying.

Excellent service and great wines! The scenery is absolutely beautiful! Worth the stop.

DO NOT COME HERE WITH A GROUP THINKING YOU WILL HAVE FUN… YOU WILL NOT. This place is trying to be super classy. The views are beautiful. The wine is pretty standard for the region but the place is hell bent on keeping it dull. Come for your 10^th anniversary with your in-​laws and boss so no one will bring up emotional stuff and everyone can sip wine as though you are in Victorian England.

My husband and I stopped by Goldeneye as part of a day of wine tasting in the area. It was fantastic. All of the wines were presented at once, atop helpful cards detailing information about each wine. I like this since it allows me to go back and forth between each wine and taste the difference between each one – at many tastings you just do one at a time and by the time you’re on the third you forget what the first tasted like. And the cards detailing the tasting notes, vineyard locations, etc. enhance the experience. They provide a small tasting plate with nuts and dried fruits, which you can taste along with the wines to see how certain flavors change in the presence of food.
Lastly, the scenery is fantastic – it was a sunny day so it was nice to sit outside, and since it was hot out the umbrella was very helpful. it’s nice to have your own space, and being outside dulls some of the din you might otherwise hear when multiple people are tasting indoors. all in all, it was a great way to spend a couple hours, and the wine was top-​notch to boot.

My boyfriend and I had an incredible tasting at Goldeneye a few weeks ago. We were driving from Mendocino to San Francisco and had a 50% off coupon for a tasting from our B&B, so we decided to stop in at Goldeneye. I’m so glad we did! Everything was wonderful.
1) The setting. Everyone told us it was the prettiest vineyard in Anderson Valley, and I can see why they said so. The grounds are stunning, the grape arbors are beautiful, and everything is California-​style sunshine-​y perfection.
2) The wine. We did the standard tasting, which was $ 15/​person — though only $ 15 total for us, since we had the coupon. We also got a cheese platter with four kinds of cheese, crackers, spread, and nuts. Really tasty, and perfect with the Pinot Noirs we sampled. We ended up coming home with two bottles — both were way more $$ than I’ve ever spent on a bottle before, but we’re going to save them to open on special occasions. I always used to say that I didn’t have a grown-​up enough palate to appreciate the difference between good wine and REALLY good wine, but Goldeneye proved me wrong on that point. Their wines were like silk: so smooth, so easy to drink, and so delicious.
3) The service. Our server was fantastic. She answered all of our questions, was clearly very knowledgeable about Goldeneye’s history and production, and brought us a complimentary tasting of one of their most expensive (and definitively incredible) wines at the end of our tasting. She never made us feel rushed, which meant we sat for two hours on the patio, covered by an umbrella but still able to look out over the vineyard in the sun. I didn’t want to leave.
Goldeneye, I’ll be back!

5+ Stars!!! …This is not just any wine tasting but a complete wine experience. Thank you Scott for the OUTSTANDING hospitality, and extremely informative wine knowledge. We felt completely spoiled. The wines are all AMAZING and the sit down tasting with the food pairing was divine!
I will definitely be back to buy more wine in the future!
Cheers,
Stacie

Loved the tasting experience here! I booked my tasting online; when I arrived they had a table reserved for me and started me with a delicious vin gris of pinot noir. Shortly after I was served a tray of 6 delicious samples and some tasty nibbles to enjoy with them. The table overlooked a fountain and part of the vineyard and was shaded by an umbrella. Well worth the fee and the most relaxing wine tasting experience I have had. All the golden-​eye pinos were delicious and the migration pinot noir was tasty too.

As lovers of Duckhorn and Paradux we decided to stop in to the Goldeneye Winery as we were coming home from a weekend on the coast, as we had never been to this tasting room before. It was a beautiful day and the location is stunning so we decided to sit outside and enjoy the afternoon. We paid for a tasting, (about half the Anderson Valley wineries charge and the other half don’t) which was fine by us, because the wines a truly phenomenal and superior to many in the area, we were brought our our wine fleet with beautiful placards with descriptions of the wines. Absolutely great for sitting outside, especially if the grounds are busy, but we were one of only a few couples there, and once we were delivered our wine flight we didn’t see an attendant more than once to answer any questions. We asked to order the Duck Rilletes which were on their food pairing menu and she told us that they didn’t have them, that it was a product ordered from France and that they had been out for nearly 3 weeks. For such a well known winery, I was a little baffled that an item out of stock for over two weeks couldn’t be taken off of the table tents stationed on the tables.
All in all, amazing scenery 5 Stars. Service 2 Stars. Wines 5 Stars. Overall experience was mediocre, they don’t wave a tasting fee with the purchase of their wine which also was a bit disappointing, and very small pours of their reserve wines for a $ 15 fee.

Mixed feelings about Goldeneye. We went to Anderson Valley to escape the Napa atmosphere and there’s definitely a piece of Napa in this experience. That said the pros make up for the cons.
Pros:
* Beautiful grounds, designed to let visitors walk amongst the vines and explore.
* Good wine, pretty much from top to bottom.
* Staff was attentive but not in a hurry to get you out. Definitely had a «take your time and enjoy» attitude.
* If you’re staying in Mendocino, most inns have 2 for 1 tasting coupons.
Cons:
* Napa prices. My wife and I like to taste blind to price and then guess what the bottle cost is. There are a couple of bottles under $ 30 but then OMG, three $ 82 Pinots! Welcome to Anderson Valley, Napa.
All in all we’d probably visit again but this is not a place to buy your Thursday night wine.

Doug was our host, very friendly and seems love his job. Great Ten Degree Pinot. We found out we can also use Dockhorn more here for tasting. Great place, great staff, and great Pinot

If you like big commercial wineries and beautiful grounds, this is the place to go. The place seems corporate and impersonal. We asked one server if we could bring our dog to the patio area and she said dogs were welcomed. Another server came by and reprimanded us for taking up too much room with our dog. Our dog was on a leash and is very mellow. She is an English bulldog and very lazy so she does not run around at all. She also does not bark or jump on anyone. There was only one other party in the patio area and several open tables so I am not sure why this server thought we were taking up too much room.
The patio and views are beautiful, but the rude service made the experience unpleasant. We felt like we were not wanted there for some reason. We quickly finished our tastings and paid the server who had served all our wines and was somewhat nice, the one who said our dog was welcomed. We went to our car and the other server who had reprimanded us ran after us and yelled at us for skipping out on the bill. I calmly and politely told her we handed our money to the other server and she should have asked her before accusing us of running out on the bill. I am not sure what her problem was with us, maybe because we did not buy any bottles or order any food. I felt she was trying to push sales. We have been to many wine tastings (not just in the US, but also in Argentina, Australia, Italy and France) and this was my worst experience ever.
As for the wines, they were decent, but overpriced like many corporate wineries. You can definitely find better wines at better prices elsewhere. If you like exploring smaller producers, go elsewhere. If you want the brand, go here.
To the Goldeneye managers, please educate your workers on customer service and communication with other servers before falsely accusing good paying honest customers of theft.

Talk about hospitality!!! We were so I’mpressed with this winery, the view and Scott!!! We sat out on their beautiful deck and Scott brought us a huge flight of Pinot Noirs… so super fun! Then when we got home, lo and behold the sweetest email from Scott! Goldeneye sure has a gem of an employee with him!!! Thx again, Scott… we’ll be back!

It’s impossible not to sing «Goldeneye» out loud to the tune of Shirley Bassey’s famous James Bond theme song, «Goldfinger» when referring to this winery. Or maybe that’s just me?
The name Goldeneye is pretty bold and so are the wines. A $ 15 tasting is like striking Pinot Noir gold.
It’s probably crazy busy on weekends so if recommend a Thursday or Friday visit instead. On a sunny «summer» afternoon, the Goldeneye patio cannot be beat. They bring you wine while you enjoy the view of the vineyards under a shaded umbrella. If there were a hot tub and pizza nearby, it’d be like heaven.
For the quality of vino, the price of a bottle is worth it! No, I don’t uncork $ 80 vintages often, but it’s something to purchase and set aside for a special occasions.
Philo is definitely «out there» but a destination for wine lovers. Go visit a few tasting rooms and make a two-​day trip out of it.

Goldeneye makes the best wine in the Anderson Valley. Don’t take my word for it, they say it themselves!
Seriously though, the wine here is indeed excellent. The grounds are very pretty too. So why only 3 stars?
1. $ 15 tasting fee that isn’t waived if you buy a bottle. By Anderson Valley standards, that’s 100% BS. We ain’t in Napa (thank god)!
2. It has that big corporation feel. Ok, it probably isn’t a big corporation, but compared to the other wineries in the area, it is.
3. Most of Goldeneye’s wines are overpriced IMO.
4. They require an appointment for groups.
If you’re going wine tasting in the Anderson Valley, please do not feel obligated to go here. There are much more friendly, interesting places to visit. Sure, their wines might not match Goldeneye’s, but the experiences they will provide will vastly surpass this place.

This is one of my favorite wineries that produces some of my favorite wine. We are very satisfied wine club members.
Goldeneye was the first Pinot Noir I fell in love with and one of the only I still adore. Zach Rasmuson, who was the winemaker up until 2012 (and who is still involved with Goldeneye) has a magic touch of art and science that resulted in a Pinot that is complex yet easy to drink. It is bold, smooth, spicey and crazy good. I am hopeful that since Zach was diligent in selecting his successor, Michael, that the wines will continue to be as delectable. The single vineyard wines are still my favorites with the Narrows leading the pack. Unfortunately the Narrows had reached its peak and much of it was recently replanted, which means limited release for the next several years ahead. Fortunately Gowan Creek has been a solid contender the last couple of years. These are just my own personal favorites and wine is really such a personal thing — so for many the Confluence vineyard is a favorite. I never go wrong with a bottle of their flagship Pinot either. It pairs so nicely with food and is a «go to» quite often. I feel the wine is well worth the price and that the price point is more than fair.
Beyond the wine, the winery itself is such a treat. The setting is idyllic and the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. Janelle was very helpful during our last visit. Unfortunately, Paula whom we had visited for years, just recently left for an opportunity closer to home. No matter whom we’ve had the pleasure of meeting with, we’ve always received the highest level of service. I highly recommend considering an elevated tasting experience for a visit as the cheese, nuts and dried fruits bring out wonderful characteristics in the wines.

Came here for an afternoon tasting ($ 20) of their high end Pinot Noirs. I’d gander that an average price point here is about $ 45/​bottle, moving on up, like George J.
Wonderfully printed cards to explain the terroir (photo), and the notes of the kind of Pinot one is drinking. In large part, most of wines sampled are complex, have notes of pepper and higher tannic levels than I prefer.
But the grounds! the beautiful, lovely, meditative grounds… and walking through the vineyard to behold the centuries old black oak tree agains the hill.
Not snooty. Explained and answered many of my questions.
A staid presence of «excess within control» (anyone can name the classic?). Just gorgeous. Glad we U turned and made the stop, before heading to Husch and Navarro.
PS spotted their Migration PN at Lunardis Danville and BevMo as well.

OMG… Thank you dear sister for being a member of this wonderful winery!
We were blessed by the weather gods… the day was hot… perfect to taste some good good wines! I forgot what the sis ordered me… or what she bought… (it was alot) but boy… this became one of my favorite wineries… Friendly staff… awesome wine tasting venue… perfect ending for our sisterly bonding weekend!
PS: I know this review is kinda worthless… but really… just go stop by and check it out for yourself. If you’re a Pinot Noir lover… then you wouldn’t be disappointed. I wasn’t! I was in LALA land!