The avowed goal of winemaker Zach Rasmuson is to make California's finest PInot Noirs. Goldeneye is located in the heart of Anderson Valley (along the migratory pathway of the common Goldeneye duck) in the northernmost grape growing area of the state, an area that Zach passionately believes to be the best suited region to Pinot in California.
 In 1990, after nearly fifteen years of making world-class Bordeaux style wines, Dan and Margaret Duckhorn felt ready to indulge their growing passion for Pinot Noir. Their vision for Goldeneye was simple: to craft a distinctively California Pinot Noir of equal stature to their acclaimed Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot. Over the next six years, the Duckhorns experimented with fruit from the Russian River, Sonoma, Carneros and Anderson Valley appellations. The Duckhorns were aware that Pinot Noir has the remarkable ability to reflect its terroir, more than many varietals. This awareness led them to narrow their exploration to Mendocino's Anderson Valley. With cool ocean fog, clay soil, and long, mild days, the Anderson Valley appellation had all the ingredients for producing world-class Pinot Noir. In 1996, the first 80-acre estate vineyard was selected, and the winery was officially christened.
 In 1997, Goldeneye harvested its first grapes, a modest seven tons of estate fruit yielding 375 cases of wine. Since then, the winery has grown to include four estate vineyards, planted to 149 vine acres. These vineyards are planted with 23 different clonal varieties and enjoy the benefits of varying microclimates. Zach joined the project in 2002. A Pinot Noir veteran, he has brought his love of farming and his obsession with the varietal to Goldeneye. A passionate ambassadotr for the Anderson Valley and its potential to produce some of the finest Pinot Noirs in the world, Zach underscores his belief that quality is determined in the vineyard with a gentle, minimalist approach to winemaking.Zach has worked hard to define the evolving style of Goldeneye. With yields as low as two tons per acre, Goldeneye cultivates extracted, elegant fruit. The goal is to fashion a wine that expresses the depth and character of the Anderson Valley. Because Zach only selects a small percentage of the finest fruit for Goldeneye Pinot Noir, a quantity of excellent grapes often remain. Beginning with the 2001 vintage, Goldeneye began selecting the best of these Pinot Noir lots to be released as a sister label, Migration.