Wine of the Week: 2008 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir ‘Dussin Vineyard’

2008 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir “Dussin Vineyard”

It’s a beautiful Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley and winemaker Lynn Penner. The fruit is dark and ripe, but there’s no trace of jam in this elegant and lush wine from the vineyard that surrounds the estate’s cellars. But there’s more than just fruit — sweet spices, a hint of vanilla and smoke.

Save this bottle for dinner with someone who will appreciate its finesse. I’d serve it with roasted chicken with truffle butter, or even better, truffles slipped under the skin. Or, forgetting the truffles, roasted chicken with Tuscan bread stuffing (bread, chicken livers, onion, prosciutto and sage) from Daniel Boulud’s “Café Boulud Cookbook.” And since it’s that time of year, the Thanksgiving turkey would love a Pinot like this.

— S. Irene Virbila

Region: Willamette Valley, Ore.

Price: About $45

Style: Coolly elegant

What it goes with: Roasted chicken or other birds, a nice roast

Where to find it: Packing House Wine Merchants in Claremont, (909) 445-9463, https://www.packinghousewines.com; Vintage Wines Ltd. in San Diego, (858) 549-2112, https://www.vintagewinessd.comhttps://vintagewinessd.com/; Whole Foods in Venice, (310) 566-9480, https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/venice; and Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454, https://www.winex.com.