7/9/20 Oregon Pinot Noir - Goodfellow Single Vineyard Values


GOODFELLOW OREGON PINOT VALUES

GOODFELLOW SINGLE VINEYARD PINOT NOIRS

 You will be hard-pressed to find a lineup of five Single Vineyard Pinots from a great vintage as well top level sites for their price points. Marcus Goodfellow is one of Oregon's finest producers and whose personality is representative of his approach to wine.

Read through, all are from 2018 (except for a 2017 at the bottom).



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2018 GOODFELLOW PINOT NOIR
'DURANT VINEYARD'
$34.99 BTL./$209.94 - SIX PACK

  • First planted in 1973, the Durant vineyard is one of Oregon’s pioneer vineyards.
  • East side of a hill in the southern end of the Dundee Hills, near the original Eyrie planting from 1965. Soils are the Jory soils the Dundee Hills are known for, Goodellow’s Pinot Noir block is at 500 ft elevation
  • 2-acres planted in 1998 adjacent to the original Durant planting. It’s mid slope, due east, and a perfect spot for growing the style of pinot Noir the Dundee Hills are famous for.
  • large majority of Durant Pinot Noir with 100% whole cluster fermentation and age the wines in used 500L puncheons to rein in fruit and add a savory backbone to the wines.

The 2018 Goodfellow Durant Pinot is an absolute killer dressed in Armani. Compact aromas of lavender, pepper, violet, rose, cherry and underlying herbs show nicely on the nose. In the mouth the vinous aspects of the older vines shines through, although there is so much story to unfold. Creamy, layered and chock full of character this will undoubtedly unfold into something very special in time. Enjoy early along with watching its development through 2033.



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2018 GOODFELLOW PINOT NOIR
'FIR CREST VINEYARD'
$34.99 BTL./$209.94 - SIX PACK

  • Fir Crest vineyard was established in 1985, in the Southwest corner of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA.
  • Quite isolated. Only recently have other vineyards been established nearby (Luminous Hills and Trisaetum’s Coast Range vineyard).
  • Soils are sedimentary, an older Willakenzie that dries out quickly in the summer.
  • Elevation is 450-550 feet, exposure is Southeast.
  • The original plantings are own rooted Pinot Noir, and a second wave of grafted plants were established in the late 1990s. primarily with the Wadensville clone in two Blocks, 8 and 11, and the elegance of the clone pairs well with the intensity of the Yamhill Carlton AVA.
  • 50-60% whole cluster fermentation

Last time we had Marcus here for a small tasting many of you all took to this old vine offering quite well. I fully agree as it has become one that I really like in the lineup. Essence of sophistication the fruit comes to the forefront so well. Sultry red fruits with more and more aromatics building as it sits in the glass. Black licorice arrives at the end as does the wine’s structure and body. Lots of persistence even if a bit packed in on the finish. Greatness to come! Drink 2021 – 2033.



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2018 GOODFELLOW PINOT NOIR
'WHISTLING RIDGE VINEYARD'
$34.99 BTL./$209.94 - SIX PACK

  • Whistling Ridge-12 acres under vines.
  • This is a ridgetop site, ranging from 450-500 feet in elevation, adjacent to the top of Patricia Green and above the Beaux Freres vineyard.
  • Whistling Ridge sees less direct sunlight due to the flatter ridge top aspect of the vineyard, and also catches more breeze coming from the north side of the vineyard.
  • Soils are 100% sedimentary, quick draining and shallow. The vineyard is no till, so cover crop competes with the vines for both moisture and nutrients.
  • While a ridge top vineyard, Whistling Ridge is by no means uniform. Each planted block has a defining change in aspect and exposure, the diversity largely created by being on the ridge top and having a range of different exposures. 5 blocks of Pinot Noir: House Block, Experimental, Long Acres, Beloved Acre, and Last Acre.
  • One of the original sites that Marcus began working with back in 2002

Aromatics of plum, rhubarb, violet, mushroom and enhanced nicely by turned earth/cinnamon tones give way to a complex texture that crawls around and covers the palate in a sensuous manner. Drawn out and complex, one sees why Goodfellow's wines always age so handsomely. This wine always features impressive intricacies, even at an early age. Plenty of depth for early access but given the whole clusters, it will unfold more and more over time. Now – 2034+.



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2018 GOODFELLOW PINOT NOIR
'TEMPERANCE HILL VINEYARD'
$34.99 BTL./$209.94 - SIX PACK

  • Temperance Hill is one of the Willamette Valley’s flagship vineyards, planted in the early 1980s and now covering nearly 90 acres planted. It is in the Eola-Amity Hills sub-AVA, and along with Seven Springs one of the AVAs most well known vineyards.
  • Goodfellow uses Pumphouse Block, a relatively steep East facing block at approximately 800 feet planted in the early 1990s to Pinot Noir clones 113 and 115.
  • Soils are volcanic basalts(Jory and Nekia) and moderately affected by the Van Duzer winds, integral to producing the deeply structured wines Temperance Hill is known for.
  • 100% whole cluster fermentation.
  • Charming in youth but very cellar worthy and long lived.

Marcus’s philosophy when making Pinot Noir is to have transparency of vineyard and fruit and not to make oak furniture and jam. The 2018 is absolutely gorgeous juice that has immense potential for aging. Based around aromatics, finesse and beauty; red berry, violet, soft smoke, and elusive herbs and spices are the characteristics of this sultry, fine Pinot. In the mouth, it is very young and packed in, but what is underneath is velvety, stylish, deftly proportioned and long and ethereal. Finishes very sleek, round and being 2018, offers up a great, long aftertaste. When I spoke with Marcus after tasting, I told him he should have been making Pinot from Eola-Amity years ago, he has a deft touch!



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2018 GOODFELLOW PINOT NOIR
'LEWMAN VINEYARD'
$34.99 BTL./$209.94 - SIX PACK

  • Lewman Vineyard is 6+ acres in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA first established in 1993 by the late Dennis Lewman.
  • 500 feet elevation, between Bethel Heights estate vineyards, Justice vineyard, Temperance Hill vineyard, and Zenith Vineyard.
  • Just below the Bethel Heights plantings, Lewman vineyard is on a flat shelf mid-slope with shallower volcanic soils, regular breeze, and has been farmed organically since establishment.
  • Being in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, the vineyard is affected by the winds coming through the Van Duzer corridor.
  • These regular coastal breezes both dry the vines and cool them, playing a large role in the 30-40 degree Farenheit shifts in temperature between day and night during the summer.

Delivering grace and regal depth of fruit all which conjure up harmonious notes of strawberry, licorice, white pepper and cocoa-dust. Texturally this offering is concentrated and persistent with plenty of dark tones up front which fan out into a vivid, suave and rich finish. This is top-notch, obsessive farming and winemaking at its pinnacle and while this wine has immense accessibility there is even more potential lurking which will undoubtedly unfold with a few years of cellaring. Bravo Marcus!!



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2017 GOODFELLOW PINOT NOIR
'WILLAMETTE VALLEY'
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

A terrific over achiever, the Goodfellow 2017 Willamette Valley follows the patterns of the vintage's greatness and delivers excellence. Refined aromas of blackberry, strawberry, soft, slightly elusive herbs, spices, and an underlay of earth and pepper tones shine as the wine unfolds in the glass. Silky and smooth with breed and class along with ultra-fine depth and tannins. All of the spices that are on the nose are present on the drawn-out finish. A superb Oregon Pinot value that will develop well over the next several years.