Wine named after Ducleaux founder’s Navy dad grabs Double Gold in Sparkling wine category
May 15, 2023, Portland, OR . . . Results for the Oregon Wine Awards were released last week, and Ducleaux Cellars of the Rocks District of Milton Freewater AVA emerged as Best in Class, winning multiple medals for their Rhône style Oregon wines. Hosted at the Women’s University Club of Seattle in mid-April, the single-blind evaluation is open only to the media, and samples were tasted and judged by a 20-member panel of wine industry experts and professionals. Competing among more than 930 Washington, Oregon, and Idaho wines, mead and ciders, Ducleaux placed for all five wines entered.
Ducleaux won Best in Class and a Double Gold medal for Call Sign, the winery’s first estate Petillant Naturel (Pet Nat) sourced from their Belle Roche Vineyard. Awarded 95 points and made from Roussanne grapes, the 2022 is the third vintage of Call Sign. Named in honor of Navy fighter pilot Commander William E. Turlay who is the father of winemaker Toby Turlay, he performed over 800 carrier landings in his 22 years of service. He is champagne lover, earning him the flight call sign of “Champagne One,” from sneaking cases of Champagne onto the ship to share with his squadron. As an honor to her dad, his love of Champagne and his years of service, Toby and husband Chris Dukelow named this wine Call Sign.
This award comes on the heels of Call Sign winning Best of Show at Portland Seafood and Wine Festival in March.
Ducleaux also won Gold medals for their 2022 One Night Stand Pet Nat with a score of 93, the 2021 Matriarch, a Rhône style white wine with a score of 91, and the 2019 red blend Raucous, also scoring 91. Ducleaux’s 2020 Syrah scored a 90, winning a Silver medal at the Oregon Wine Awards.
Ducleaux Cellars specializes in Rhône varieties such as Syrah, Viognier, Roussane and Mourvèdre, sourcing grapes from their 10-acre estate. With Toby as Winemaker and Chris at her side, the two run a highly personalized yet professional tasting experience on the east side of The Rocks District.
Executive Director Christopher Chan launched the Oregon Wine Awards in 2009. This event brings together foremost wine professionals to taste and evaluate the region’s vintage and current/new wine releases, which celebrates and promotes the best wines of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The tasting panel for the Oregon Wine Awards is comprised of masters of wine, winemakers, master sommeliers, instructors of enology, buyers, journalists and directors of wine.
More about Ducleaux Cellars
Founded by Toby Turlay and Chris Dukelow, Pacific NW locals who met on match.com more than a decade ago, the duo’s journey is benchmarked with serious wine made by not-so serious folks.
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