Goldeneye Winery was founded in 1996, years before the Pinot Noir boom that has reshaped the landscape of California winemaking. But the genesis for Goldeneye goes back even further. In 1990, after fifteen years of making world-class Bordeaux-varietal wines, Dan and Margaret Duckhorn embraced their growing love of Pinot Noir. Their vision for Goldeneye was simple, though not easy. They wanted to found a winery that could make a terroir-inspired expression of California Pinot Noir of equal stature to the acclaimed Merlots they had pioneered at Duckhorn Vineyards in Napa Valley. For Pinot Noir, the Duckhorn's believed that true greatness would be found on the cool-climate edges of modern California viticulture and found what they were looking for in the Anderson Valley.

As the winemaker for Goldeneye, Kristen McMahan is committed to crafting wines that embody both the rustic beauty and refinement that have made the Anderson Valley famous among Pinot Noir enthusiasts. Guiding the region’s most acclaimed Pinot Noir program, which includes three renowned estate vineyards, more than 140 acres of vines and 20 unique clones, Kristen applies a small-lot winemaking approach that preserves the charm and complexity of nearly 100 individual lots of wine each vintage. Combining a love of Pinot Noir—both still and sparkling—with a keen scientific mind, and a passion for creativity and collaboration, Kristen has quickly established herself as one of Anderson Valley’s rising star winemakers.